technical analysis

When discussing wealth preservation or any form of a conservative hedge, the word gold comes easily to the forefront. The shiny metal has a substantial history of having saved a civilization or two. The lesser obvious choice is silver, but this precious metal is in a unique situation right now that any speculator that seeks out a hedge against inflation should be aware of. Silver, the edge over gold. It isn’t just a good bet to hedge exuberant market risk right now. It is massively undervalued and, as such, a pristine play in itself. Silver in US-Dollar, monthly chart, still at average prices: A look at the monthly chart over the last forty years, back to 1980 when the US also was confronted with a crisis, silver prices skyrocketed. Overall, though, prices right now reflect averages like averages of that time. Gold in US-Dollar, monthly chart, trending up: In comparison to the monthly gold chart, we can see what’s out of whack. Gold since then from its averages at the time has appreciated nearly 300%. We see no fundamental reasons that substantiate such a divergence between the two. With silver being that grossly undervalued, it has tremendous additional potential once it is forced to catch up. This is partially reflected in the stretch between the spot price and the actual value of physical silver that can be acquired. A nearly 20% spread can be seen now for almost two years. It would come as no surprise that a supply shortage might bring fuel to an up move. Silver in US-Dollar, daily chart, minimizing entry risk: It isn’t only the long-term profit probability that makes silver attractive. Silver also has an edge from the perspective of execution. Low-risk entries and exits are fundamental elements for high probability win ratios. We want to share some edges with the reader on how to engage with silver from an execution standpoint. We picked the daily time frame since daily charts do have a significant position for most market speculators. Daily time frame charts are typically used for smaller time frame position traders as setup time frames. Larger time frame players who have their setups either on weekly or monthly charts still use daily time frames to time their entries to mitigate execution risk. We circled in the daily chart above two sets of supportive methods on how to find low-risk entries that provide not only higher likely turning points, but a way to set tighter stops than usual. White circles show how meaningful the “mean” (blue line) is to silver traders. Yellow circles show when the price meets the 200 simple moving average (purple line), another point of interest to traders. A low-risk entry point marks when multiple edges appear simultaneously like in scenario “one,” a low-risk entry point is located. In our example, a short entry with support from a two-hundred simple moving average, the mean, and a distribution zone defined by a fractal volume analysis (histogram to the right of the chart.) Silver in US-Dollar, monthly chart, getting ready: From a long-term investment perspective, we would be interested in looking for a daily low-risk entry point once October (very right bar on monthly chart above) closes in the green. In addition, we would like the price to be lower than the October’s candle closing price after the first four trading days of November. Silver, the edge over gold: We do not believe in extremes, quite the contrary. While typically diversification means more like throwing stuff against the wall and hoping something sticks, when it comes to wealth preservation, diversification is a good thing. We aren’t living in times to aim to make a killing. Right now, risk control supersedes exuberant market play for profits. We find gold and bitcoin very much suitable to protect your wealth. The steep percentage factor of inflation also warrants for a more aggressive wealth preservation play. That is where silver comes in. Silver with the potential to see triple-digit prices in the near future allows for keeping inflation risk in check. Feel free to join us in our free Telegram channel for daily real time data and a great community. If you like to get regular updates on our gold model, precious metals and cryptocurrencies you can also subscribe to our free newsletter. This article does not contain investment advice or recommendations. Every investment and trading move involves risk, and readers should conduct their own research when making a decision. The views, thoughts and opinions expressed here are the author’s alone. They do not necessarily reflect or represent the views and opinions of Midas Touch Consulting.

Interpreting news to use for future price forecasts is as tricky as finding the solution to what came first, the chicken or the egg. Typically, news is late, meaning someone knew before, so news events are already priced into the price. Unfortunately, the news is often nothing more than lies nowadays, and distinguishing what’s real and what’s fake is another challenge. News is mainly beneficial for rationalizing a prior price move for the curious mind. Little more than a story for lunch break to claim “I told you so” before work colleagues. Bitcoin, the power of news. But not so fast! There are a few ways to navigate through the maze of news that can be helpful to one’s investment timing for entries and exits into and out of the markets. The two most significant market influencing news types are a real surprise and a sum of news items forming sentiment. Consequently, when China recently banned bitcoin, the market’s reaction was timid. China had banned bitcoin before. Their bans of companies like Google, Facebook, Twitter, and Snapchat, had those tech companies still soar hundreds if not thousands of percent higher. In short, it was no surprise like an unforeseeable weather catastrophe to crops, terrorist attacks, or otherwise genuine surprises that can shake emotions in market speculators and, as such, turn price direction quickly. Surprises of a minor degree like Fed-President Powell stated that there be no intention to ban bitcoin if released conducive in timing can influence the price as we have seen recently. Sentiment, a sum of news over time evoking an investor’s sense of certainty or fear, can also be powerful. Concerning bitcoin, with a constant flow of positive news releases like El Salvador holds 2.7 million BTC users, Brazil is planning to adopt bitcoin, multiple BTC ETFs are in the process of getting approved, and large investors like George Soros and Michael Saylor are stacking up in bitcoin can create price support. BTC in US-Dollar, Daily Chart, China’s BTC ban: The Central Bank of China declared a general ban on bitcoin on the 24th of September this year. The market declined a modest ten percent. BTC in US-Dollar, Daily Chart, FED-“no intentions to ban BTC”: On the other hand, a week later, when House Representative Ted Budd had asked if it was Jerome Powell’s “intention to limit or ban cryptocurrencies, as we see in China”, the chairman declined such intentions of the Federal Reserve, markets soared. A daily time frame turning point was initiated, with a follow through all the way to a 52% increase. BTC in US-Dollar, Weekly Chart, six figures soon: Another supporting news item for the sentiment was the President of Russia, Vladimir Putin, stating: “crypto-assets have the right to exist and can be used as a means of payment.” The sum of positive sentiment lured the price to a double top (as you can spot on the weekly chart above). We find probabilities in favor that these highs will be taken out soon and that the third leg of this entire move most likely will reach six figures within the next four to five months. BTC in US-Dollar, Monthly Chart, bullish: A final look at the most meaningful monthly time frame supports the overall bullish tone. Even though it might look like a double top, we should see new highs. Should November close as a Doji (uncertainty bar), we might have to revisit these prognostics. As of now, bears are facing quite some buying pressure. Bitcoin, the power of news: Our minds are desperately seeking reasons for cause and effect, and news is like a relief to our market speculation. Unfortunately, acting on news releases themselves intuitively leads, in most cases, to losses. Where quick action is required is when news items are of true surprising nature to all. News items of unforeseeable disastrous consequences can immediately affect markets, but are typically rare in occurrence. Another set of news that is meaningful to an investor is a sum of news with the same polarity. Forming a sentiment within market speculators over time, this continuous news flow can support a trend. Consequently, this can be helpful to the trader. Once sentiment becomes extreme, the astute contrarian can use sentiment also as an early indicator on when to take partial profits and eventually fade this trend. Feel free to join us in our free Telegram channel for daily real time data and a great community. If you like to get regular updates on our gold model, precious metals and cryptocurrencies you can subscribe to our free newsletter. This article does not contain investment advice or recommendations. Every investment and trading move involves risk, and readers should conduct their own research when making a decision. The views, thoughts and opinions expressed here are the author’s alone. They do not necessarily reflect or represent the views and opinions of Midas Touch Consulting.

The supply crunch might stretch as much as a seven-year event from now, but the spring is loaded already. It isn’t only a supply, demand scenario when talking about silver. Little accounted for is any surprise, and in our opinion, the slightest cough could set this spring off. The sum of fundamental facts is overwhelming on how the next large turning point could set silver  into stellar motion. With this many accelerators, it makes this an incredible risk/reward-ratio play. Silver, the loaded spring. Here are a few facts that we do not see accounted for in price and as that find to be accelerators for the next monthly time frame leg up: increase in demand for physical silver purchase during the previous eighteen months eleven trillion dollars pumped into the economy over the last eighteen months (inflation) electricity prices rising = demand for solar panels increasing (which contain silver) supply logistic constraints all over the world make large shipments of raw materials stuck in various ports (including silver) Silver in US-Dollar, daily chart, signs of life: Silver in US-Dollar, daily chart as of October 22nd, 2021. With the already present shortages of blanks for minting coins and a driver shortage for armored cars, why is silver trading at these low numbers? There is plenty of evidence that once demand for silver increases further, a short squeeze might be triggered. Consequently, silver prices might soar beyond typical trend steepness. On the daily chart above, signs of life are already evident. The trend-down channel since June this year has recently been broken to the upside. The first indication of a reversal. We have a keen eye on the price levels near the green dotted horizontal lines for possible low-risk long entries. Silver in US-Dollar, weekly chart, on the verge: We have warned numerous times that the two most detrimental factors to market losses are intuition and emotions. Intuition, while one of the most resourceful problem solvers, is worthless in the counterintuitive market environment. Emotions provide for a clouded perception of actual market behavior and a tendency to overwrite one’s rules and cause sabotage to disciplined behavior necessary for execution within one’s market play. Emotions aren’t only fear and greed, or chasing trades and running stops. Over the last forty years, we were less worried about inflation. As a result, we might be a bit  complacent now to validate early warning signals. Procrastination might be a consequence. Be advised that acquisition of physical purchase requires availability and even more knowledge. What to buy? Where to buy it? The spring is loaded. There is no room for research once it’s sprung. Prepare your actions in detail. Make a sample purchase for confidence and experience if you haven’t done so already. It is education that supports all subsequent steps and possible surprises to endure. Knowledge will give you the edge over the average citizen. Spot price analysis is helpful as well to keep calm and prepared. The weekly chart above shows a pat situation. Bulls celebrated above the mean (blue line). Fourteen weeks ago, the directional green trend line was violated by price. Bears pushed since then prices to lower levels. Right now, we are right on the verge of price trading near the red resistance downtrend line. This makes not for a low-risk entry zone on this time frame but should price close above this line, it would indicate a possible long trend continuation. Silver in US-Dollar, monthly chart, bullish engulfing pattern: Silver in US-Dollar, monthly chart as of October 22nd, 2021. It seems the crowd is complacent about all monthly bills and especially food prices going through the roof. Many billionaires, including Stanley Druckenmiller, Paul Tudor-Jones, Bill Ackman and Warren Buffett, have stated that Americans aren’t paying enough attention to the fact that we will face consequences of the eleven trillion dollars pumped into the economy over the last eighteen months. The monthly chart reflects these market uncertainties to a certain degree. Silver prices have seen a substantial move up. Even though trading within a sideways range for over a year now, October is exceptionally strong so far. Representing a bullish engulfing pattern from a Japanese candlestick perspective, the majority of sellers in September got stopped out or are underwater. Should prices close above US$ 24 for this month, we would be very bullish on silver. We have already taken nine trades on small timeframes this month, of which seven were successful winning trades. Our quad exit strategy allows the remaining partial positions (the last 25% which we call “runner”) to be exposed at no risk within the markets. All these trades are posted in real-time in our free Telegram channel. Silver, the loaded spring: There seems to be much confusion regarding the math on silver demand in the news. Boiling it down to a simple equation, we are mining an average of about 800 to 850 million ounces a year. In opposition to this mine supply, industrial demand is about 600 million ounces. With a speculated growth to about a billion ounces of industrial demand, it isn’t so challenging to feel safe on a long-term bet holding physical silver. And we are only talking about one sector of silver demand here… The real kicker will be the investment demand. Feel free to join us in our free Telegram channel for daily real time data and a great community. If you like to get regular updates on our gold model, precious metals and cryptocurrencies you can also subscribe to our free newsletter. This article does not contain investment advice or recommendations. Every investment and trading move involves risk, and readers should conduct their own research when making a decision. The views, thoughts and opinions expressed here are the author’s alone. They do not necessarily reflect or represent the views and opinions of Midas Touch Consulting.

Typically, the focus is on price when talking about trading. Still, just like “entries” get more attention because they come first, professionals know that it is “exits” that deserve the more significant amount of attention. It is the risk where the focus should be; related to time much more versus price. The emphasis superseding all is psychology. Psychology separates the amateur from the professional. One subset of this essential aspect of trading is the analysis of which groups with their specific psychology trade the market in focus. Such a study provides insight into the overall trading behavior of a particular trading instrument, bitcoins trading psychology. BTC in US-Dollar, Daily Chart, leg analysis: Bitcoin in US-Dollar, Daily chart as of October 25th, 2021. From a pure price perception, it might seem that the consistency bitcoin holds in price bubbles might be of the same origin, but they are not. In 2009, the value of the coin was zero, and fans exchanged it more like reminding of a seedy Star Wars bar exchange of true fans for a new idea, technology, beliefs, and freedom. Even so, bubbles arose a year later, and the price was driven by extreme supply and demand imbalances due to ill-liquidity when news hit the media. Since these times, we have seen all sorts of traders, speculators, investors, banks, hedge funds, governments join the speculation in a profitable market. Each with their specific mindset, interests, and trading psychology. The latest shift is now the race of governments getting a hold on the worldwide dominance reign. They will be true hodlers. Before that last influx, the bitcoin market was dominated by pure speculators for the most part. In a sense, they were forced into this market to stay competitive. Wide swings were the result since there was little incentive to stay in this game for the long term or, in other words, taking the risk on the large downswings. One first step, identifying in which market and cycle one is competing, are comparing up-legs in size (percentage) and steepness (time). The daily chart above shows such measurements of the last two significant moves in bitcoin this year. It has taken bitcoin only three months to more than double in price. BTC in US-Dollar, Weekly Chart, Projections: With governments and the wider population now being the last to come to the party, we will see a shift in the trading behavior of bitcoin. This needs adjustment in one’s trading style to be part of this craze for the virtual, decentralized future. One such shift in the process may be a reduction of retracements depth within the second leg from a weekly perspective. We have drawn a projection of the second leg highly conservative in the chart above. Conservative, since second legs are typically longer, and we only assumed an identical extension to the first leg (1=2=3 in length and angle). BTC in US-Dollar, Monthly Chart, time accuracy: Bitcoins’ childhood days have long passed. Seedy bar purchases have changed for high liquidity and professional exchanges with advanced order execution functionality. The big guns sit on the table, and as such, trading has shaped up. The individual is now playing against the best in the world, like in any other asset class, and risk should be perceived as such. Nevertheless, a larger time frame play for wealth preservation and a hedge against inflation is controllable in risk. Market participation analysis allows for a better grip on what to expect and scales in on targets from a time perspective. The above monthly chart illustrates our view of a possible future. The logarithmic chart shows best what inherent strength bitcoin possesses. Bitcoin´s trading psychology: The largest group that is not invested in bitcoin yet is the more significant part of average citizens. Consequently, we will find ourselves in an extreme supply demand imbalance due to bitcoins fixed limit of 21 million coins. More importantly, we will discover new trading behavior with a new group participating, with new psychology. These purchases will be made by amateurs who are motivated by fear more than greed. This market participant will be a long-term speculator trying to hold on to his investment versus making a quick buck. We anticipate more moderate overall retracements percentagewise. As well, we expect steeper legs up. These will result in a different system needed to participate in a market with low-risk entry points. Feel free to join us in our free Telegram channel for daily real time data and a great community. If you like to get regular updates on our gold model, precious metals and cryptocurrencies you can subscribe to our free newsletter. This article does not contain investment advice or recommendations. Every investment and trading move involves risk, and readers should conduct their own research when making a decision. The views, thoughts and opinions expressed here are the author’s alone. They do not necessarily reflect or represent the views and opinions of Midas Touch Consulting.    

BTC in US-Dollar, Daily Chart, leg analysis:Bitcoin in US-Dollar, Daily chart as of October 25th, 2021.From a pure price perception, it might seem that the consistency bitcoin holds in price bubbles might be of the same origin, but they are not. In 2009, the value of the coin was zero, and fans exchanged it more like reminding of a seedy Star Wars bar exchange of true fans for a new idea, technology, beliefs, and freedom. Even so, bubbles arose a year later, and the price was driven by extreme supply and demand imbalances due to ill-liquidity when news hit the media.Since these times, we have seen all sorts of traders, speculators, investors, banks, hedge funds, governments join the speculation in a profitable market. Each with their specific mindset, interests, and trading psychology. The latest shift is now the race of governments getting a hold on the worldwide dominance reign. They will be true hodlers. Before that last influx, the bitcoin market was dominated by pure speculators for the most part. In a sense, they were forced into this market to stay competitive. Wide swings were the result since there was little incentive to stay in this game for the long term or, in other words, taking the risk on the large downswings.One first step, identifying in which market and cycle one is competing, are comparing up-legs in size (percentage) and steepness (time).The daily chart above shows such measurements of the last two significant moves in bitcoin this year.It has taken bitcoin only three months to more than double in price.BTC in US-Dollar, Weekly Chart, Projections:Bitcoin in US-Dollar, weekly chart as of October 26th, 2021.With governments and the wider population now being the last to come to the party, we will see a shift in the trading behavior of bitcoin. This needs adjustment in one’s trading style to be part of this craze for the virtual, decentralized future.One such shift in the process may be a reduction of retracements depth within the second leg from a weekly perspective. We have drawn a projection of the second leg highly conservative in the chart above. Conservative, since second legs are typically longer, and we only assumed an identical extension to the first leg (1=2=3 in length and angle). BTC in US-Dollar, Monthly Chart, time accuracy:Bitcoin in US-Dollar, monthly chart as of October 26th, 2021.Bitcoins’ childhood days have long passed. Seedy bar purchases have changed for high liquidity and professional exchanges with advanced order execution functionality. The big guns sit on the table, and as such, trading has shaped up. The individual is now playing against the best in the world, like in any other asset class, and risk should be perceived as such.Nevertheless, a larger time frame play for wealth preservation and a hedge against inflation is controllable in risk. Market participation analysis allows for a better grip on what to expect and scales in on targets from a time perspective. The above monthly chart illustrates our view of a possible future. The logarithmic chart shows best what inherent strength bitcoin possesses.Bitcoin´s trading psychology:The largest group that is not invested in bitcoin yet is the more significant part of average citizens. Consequently, we will find ourselves in an extreme supply demand imbalance due to bitcoins fixed limit of 21 million coins. More importantly, we will discover new trading behavior with a new group participating, with new psychology. These purchases will be made by amateurs who are motivated by fear more than greed. This market participant will be a long-term speculator trying to hold on to his investment versus making a quick buck. We anticipate more moderate overall retracements percentagewise. As well, we expect steeper legs up. These will result in a different system needed to participate in a market with low-risk entry points.Feel free to join us in our free Telegram channel for daily real time data and a great community. If you like to get regular updates on our gold model, precious metals and cryptocurrencies you can subscribe to our free newsletter.This article does not contain investment advice or recommendations. Every investment and trading move involves risk, and readers should conduct their own research when making a decision. The views, thoughts and opinions expressed here are the author’s alone. They do not necessarily reflect or represent the views and opinions of Midas Touch Consulting.By Korbinian Koller|October 26th, 2021|Tags: Bitcoin, bitcoin consolidation, Bitcoin mining, crypto analysis, Crypto Bull, crypto chartbook, crypto mining, low risk, quad exit, technical analysis, trading education|0 CommentsAbout the Author: Korbinian KollerOutstanding abstract reasoning ability and ability to think creatively and originally has led over the last 25 years to extract new principles and a unique way to view the markets resulting in a multitude of various time frame systems, generating high hit rates and outstanding risk reward ratios. Over 20 years of coaching traders with heart & passion, assessing complex situations, troubleshoot and solve problems principle based has led to experience and a professional history of success. Skilled natural teacher and exceptional developer of talent. Avid learner guided by a plan with ability to suppress ego and empower students to share ideas and best practices and to apply principle-based technical/conceptual knowledge to maximize efficiency. 25+ year execution experience (50.000+ trades executed) Trading multiple personal accounts (long and short-and combinations of the two). Amazing market feel complementing mechanical systems discipline for precise and extreme low risk entries while objectively seeing the whole picture. Ability to notice and separate emotional responses from the decision-making process and to stand outside oneself and one’s concerns about images in order to function in terms of larger objectives. Developed exit strategies that compensate both for maximizing profits and psychological ease to allow for continuous flow throughout the whole trading day. In depth knowledge of money management strategies with the experience of multiple 6 sigma events in various markets (futures, stocks, commodities, currencies, bonds) embedded in extreme low risk statistical probability models with smooth equity curves and extensive risk management as well as extensive disaster risk allow for my natural capacity for risk-taking.

The average investor is news-driven. As much as the Federals Reserve  (the Fed) might be criticized, this large investor group is not commonly doubting news. In other words, it has generally believed the Fed’s narrative that inflation is transitory. The bad news is rarely released shortly before Christmas. However, it would not surprise if tapering started in early 2022. And maybe not just begin but be more aggressive throughout the year as expected. With this, the narrative will change from a “we are not worried, it is transitory” to a “we need to deal with” regarding inflation. Therefore, this could easily be the fire to the fuse of the Silver rocket. We now see early signs of such a lift-off in price in recent silver price movements. Silver’s fuse is about to be lit. Silver in US-Dollar, daily chart, low-risk entry points: Silver in US-Dollar, daily chart as of October 30th, 2021. It isn’t only that the overall narrative on transitory inflation is starting to get holes. We like the silver play, for instance because gold is somewhat in the limelight in battle with bitcoin. Consequently, allowing for silver to shine while it is typically in the shadow. On top of it all, we find clear evidence that commodities with industrial use are likely in a long term bull market. This is a play where everything is coming together. A multi stream both in fundamental and technical edges stack upon each other. As of right now, we have identified four low-risk entry points on the daily silver chart, which are marked in bright green horizontal lines. We would take off 50% of the position near the US$26 mark to mitigate risk (see our quad exit strategy). Silver in US-Dollar, weekly chart, good risk reward ratio: Silver in US-Dollar, weekly chart as of October 30th, 2021. The weekly chart offers a low-risk opportunity as well. We illustrated above a play that assumes an entry point in the lower third quadrant of the yellow marked sideways zone. It would provide for a risk/reward-ratio between 1:1 and 1:2 towards the financing point. As well we assume an exit of half of the position at the top near US$28 of the yellow sideways channel (see our quad exit strategy). With two more exits of each 25% of total trade equity at targets US$34.83 and US$48.72, we find the weekly play to be conducive to our low-risk policy.  Silver in US-Dollar, monthly chart, favorable probabilities: Silver in US-Dollar, monthly chart as of October 30th, 2021. With its most considerable weight, the monthly chart provides the necessary overview. It shows how likely a success rate to a long-term play outcome is. We find three dominant aspects supporting our aim for a bullish long-term play. Trend: The linear regression channel is marked in diagonal lines (red, blue, green). It shows a clearly bullish trend with a high likelihood of continuation. Support: The Ichimoku cloud analysis provides solid evidence of support to the recently established bullish tone in silver. Probabilities: Price highs from 1980 to 2011 built a double top price formation. As a result, it prevented prices from getting higher than the price zone marked with a white box. The third attempt of price reaching this price zone nevertheless has a much higher statistical probability of penetrating this distribution zone and allowing the price to go higher. Silver’s fuse is about to be lit: We find ourselves in challenging times. Certainly, not only in market play. One of the essential pillars to come out ahead is bending in the wind and staying flexible. Should the FED indeed raise interest rates to a degree non-reflected in the anticipated market price of speculators and come as a surprise, we might see a stock market decline next year of a substantial percentage. Consequently, this would temporarily drag silver prices down as well. We share methods in our free Telegram channel to build low-risk positions within the market that reduce risk through partial profit-taking. Our quad exit strategy allows us to hedge physical acquisitions by trading around these positions on smaller time frames in the silver paper market. Our approach provides a way to maneuver through a delicate environment to hedge against inflation and preserve wealth. Feel free to join us in our free Telegram channel for daily real time data and a great community. If you like to get regular updates on our gold model, precious metals and cryptocurrencies you can also subscribe to our free newsletter. This article does not contain investment advice or recommendations. Every investment and trading move involves risk, and readers should conduct their own research when making a decision. The views, thoughts and opinions expressed here are the author’s alone. They do not necessarily reflect or represent the views and opinions of Midas Touch Consulting.

Here is what you should consider when asking why it isn’t trading even higher. First, after an initial up-leg like this, a trend is set in motion, but it is just the beginning of a trend. It needs time to develop. Most of the reasons debated this year when silver stepped into the limelight were the reasons the traders anticipated fueling the first leg. A big part is that it takes time until the public digests the market, which is ahead of reality, a speculative prognosis on how the future might look. There is a trickle-down effect until silver can build up its second leg. From an active market speculator perspective, inflation is real, but years can pass until the crowd realizes what is going on. Then gold needs to move, which in turn awakens silver with a delay. Gold in US-Dollar, monthly chart, bull as bull can be: Gold in US-Dollar, monthly chart as of November 5th, 2021. The monthly gold chart above shows the strong bullish trend in gold over the last twenty years. Telltales are a higher high in 2020 versus 2011, and the price strength since. Gold in US-Dollar, weekly chart, getting ready: Gold in US-Dollar, weekly chart as of November 5th, 2021. The weekly chart has just come alive to an exciting inflection point. A closer look reveals that price has successfully built a second leg from the US$1,680 double bottom price zone (yellow lines). The upcoming weeks should show if a double triangle formation (red lines) was severed now that the price is trading above POC support of a fractal volume study (white line). Silver in US-Dollar, weekly chart, looking good: Silver in US-Dollar, weekly chart as of November 5th, 2021. The weekly silver chart is bullish as well. Bulls have successfully defended the yearly range lows zone (slim white box). They mutually are attacking an overhead resistance with quite some might, and upcoming weeks might find price successful in that attempt. Silver in US-Dollar, monthly chart, history as a guide: Silver in US-Dollar, monthly chart as of November 5th, 2021. The above monthly chart shows an excellent example of how much patience is needed to earn significant profits from a silver investment. In this case, silver initiated a range break in 1973, where prices tripled within a year. Much like silver’s recent move from March last year to the current top in February this year. It showed a similar percentage move. This first leg of a bullish trend required more than three years of investor’s patience before the second leg was initiated. Those patient enough to hold on were rewarded with a near thousand percent price increase.   Silver, patience pays: “It never was my thinking that made the big money for me. It always was my sitting.”Nothing has changed in the last hundred years about the principle value of this quote by Edwin Lefèvre (Reminiscences of a Stock Operator, published in 1923). We are used to active participation in a process to earn one’s wages. In this aspect however, the market is counterintuitive. “The desire for constant action irrespective of underlying conditions is responsible for many losses in Wall Street even among the professionals, who feel that they must take home some money every day, as though they were working for regular wages.” Lefèvre again points towards patience and a state of inactivity being just right in market play. We find the last phase of silver in a sideways range if anything is encouraging to a substantial second leg up in the making, It will therefore reward the patient owner of his physical holdings. Feel free to join us in our free Telegram channel for daily real time data and a great community. If you like to get regular updates on our gold model, precious metals and cryptocurrencies you can also subscribe to our free newsletter. This article does not contain investment advice or recommendations. Every investment and trading move involves risk, and readers should conduct their own research when making a decision. The views, thoughts and opinions expressed here are the author’s alone. They do not necessarily reflect or represent the views and opinions of Midas Touch Consulting.

Some might argue that it is best to sit on one’s hands and wait for a time when bitcoin prices are suppressed, and they have a point with the possibility of a market crash. And then again, they might have said that already when bitcoin was still trading at US$3,000 (we do not find it likely that bitcoin will ever retrace to those levels again.). Where are the uncertainties in bitcoins certainty? When you dissect a complex mechanism, you will always find a problem. It is like going to the bakery. It would be foolish to expect to get anything else but bread. Maybe it is better to look at a glass half full, meaning why not look at why bitcoin could be a certainty? BTC in US-Dollar, Monthly Chart, every buyer is a winner if he didn’t sell: Bitcoin in US-Dollar, Monthly chart as of November 9th, 2021. The monthly chart above certainly shows that whoever bought in the past has made a profit by now. Yet, we know “hodling” isn’t an easy thing. Personal risk appetite determines the number of bitcoin that can be held throughout these boom and bust cycles. We solved this dilemma through our quad exit strategy. And we teach low-risk position size building in our free telegram channel. BTC in US-Dollar, Weekly Chart, new all-time highs: Bitcoin in US-Dollar, Weekly chart as of November 9th, 2021. Now, moving forward to real-time, we can make out a similar bullish picture on the weekly chart after our glimpse in the past. Recent events provide data that substantiates bitcoin’s long-term certainty. A look at the last two weeks of October (marked in white) reveals a very brief battle with a minimal retracement level at the double top of all-time highs. Bears barely get a foot in the door, where typically bitcoin experiences significant retracements. To us, a clear sign that the rush is on. Big player money is now rushing to accumulate the necessary size they aim to hold on their books for the long term. Consequently, reducing volatility, one of the most feared aspects of bitcoin, which in times to come will attract more market players to this trading vehicle.   BTC in US-Dollar, Monthly Chart, six figures in 2022: Bitcoin in US-Dollar, Monthly chart as of November 9th, 2021. A look into the future from a monthly chart perspective is confidence building as well. With new all-time high prices printing at the time of publication of this chart book, our bet is still on bitcoin with a 63% over 47% chance that prices will advance from here rather than retracing to a substantially lower price level. So far, bitcoin has done nothing else but eradicate the uncertainties placed in its way. The most stubborn doubter would likely be happy if they had picked up a few coins when they traded at a dollar. What provides confidence for our forecast is the confirmation that bitcoin price retracements are now more modest. This lets us assume that the number of professional traders participating in this market has increased. In the monthly chart above, you can make out that closing prices of the month’s May, June, and July this year closed above the 50% Fibonacci retracement levels. A conservative retracement for bitcoins historical standards. We project for the near term that bitcoin will reach six-figure prices in mid-February next year. The uncertain certainty of bitcoin: From the anticipatory perspective, it seems evident that holding bitcoin is a prudent move with a look into the future. A hedge is needed once the risk is apparent to all, and the house of cards will tumble.  From a real-time perspective, we also find bitcoin to be a “must-own.” The charts above showed the strength with which bitcoin is aching to claim its turf, and it is never good to wait till “fear of missing out” kicks in, and low-risk entry opportunities become scarce.  And from a reactionary perspective, a look in the past, it is evident that anybody would like a piece of the action where bitcoin has nothing but a stunning history of unheard percentage moves and made it from eight cents to US$ 67,000 in just a dozen years.  There are always uncertainties in speculative ventures, but bitcoin itself is a certainty, not to be rationalized away for the years to come. Feel free to join us in our free Telegram channel for daily real time data and a great community. If you like to get regular updates on our gold model, precious metals and cryptocurrencies you can subscribe to our free newsletter. This article does not contain investment advice or recommendations. Every investment and trading move involves risk, and readers should conduct their own research when making a decision. The views, thoughts and opinions expressed here are the author’s alone. They do not necessarily reflect or represent the views and opinions of Midas Touch Consulting. By Korbinian Koller|November 9th, 2021|Tags: Bitcoin, bitcoin consolidation, Bitcoin mining, crypto analysis, Crypto Bull, crypto chartbook, crypto mining, low risk, quad exit, technical analysis, trading education|0 Comments About the Author: Korbinian Koller Outstanding abstract reasoning ability and ability to think creatively and originally has led over the last 25 years to extract new principles and a unique way to view the markets resulting in a multitude of various time frame systems, generating high hit rates and outstanding risk reward ratios. Over 20 years of coaching traders with heart & passion, assessing complex situations, troubleshoot and solve problems principle based has led to experience and a professional history of success. Skilled natural teacher and exceptional developer of talent. Avid learner guided by a plan with ability to suppress ego and empower students to share ideas and best practices and to apply principle-based technical/conceptual knowledge to maximize efficiency. 25+ year execution experience (50.000+ trades executed) Trading multiple personal accounts (long and short-and combinations of the two). Amazing market feel complementing mechanical systems discipline for precise and extreme low risk entries while objectively seeing the whole picture. Ability to notice and separate emotional responses from the decision-making process and to stand outside oneself and one’s concerns about images in order to function in terms of larger objectives. Developed exit strategies that compensate both for maximizing profits and psychological ease to allow for continuous flow throughout the whole trading day. In depth knowledge of money management strategies with the experience of multiple 6 sigma events in various markets (futures, stocks, commodities, currencies, bonds) embedded in extreme low risk statistical probability models with smooth equity curves and extensive risk management as well as extensive disaster risk allow for my natural capacity for risk-taking.

Bitcoin is volatile and nosedives in some of these attacks. A historical look back illustrates how bitcoin each time is climbing higher right after: 2009 traded for free (zero value) between enthusiasts 2010 worth US$0.08 2011 from US$1 up to US$32 back down to US$2 2012 from US$4.80 up to US$13.20 2013 from US$13.40 up to US$1,156 and down to US$760 2014 – 2016 down to US$315 2017 up to US$20,089 2018 down to US$3,122 2019 up to US$13,880 2020 up to US$34,800 2021 up to US$67,016 And these last three years, bitcoin has been climbing higher, undeterred. BTC in US-Dollar, Monthly Chart, bitcoin, a true winner: Bitcoin in US-Dollar, Monthly chart as of November 2nd, 2021. The monthly chart above illustrates bitcoin’s winning characteristics. We can see harmonious swings. Retracements are substantial, but bitcoin shows a persistent tendency to outperform previous all-time highs. BTC in US-Dollar, Weekly Chart, explosive recent history: Bitcoin in US-Dollar, Weekly chart as of November 2nd, 2021. The weekly chart points towards more explosive moves recently. After a breakout of a multi-year range, we can see that bitcoin has started to move substantially due to more widespread adoption. Swing behavior is getting more harmonious. At the moment, we are in the midst of a battle between bears and bulls at a double top formation. Consequently, the following days to weeks will show who will come out ahead. The fact that bulls cling to their winnings for this long gives price in this pat situation a slight edge for the bullish corner.   BTC in US-Dollar, Daily Chart, stepping away from the noise: Bitcoin in US-Dollar, Daily chart as of November 2nd, 2021. The daily chart can be pretty volatile. These smaller time frames are advised only to be traded if you are a professional. This applies particularly to struggle zones like the one we are currently in, for instance. Intraday swings can get substantial. In addition, once these battles between bears and bulls resolve, daily percentage moves can be staggering. Luckily, one doesn’t need to fear such challenging trading environments. To clarify, step up to larger time frames and reduce trade frequency and position size. Accept the risk based on adequate position size to your individual psychology and risk appetite. Consequently, buying for the long term will become much easier. It is essential as such to be familiar with a trading object’s typical behavior and, in bitcoins case, not to forget its ability to shine after a major setback. Bitcoin is climbing undeterred higher: Overall, bitcoins’ technical personality makes it an easy choice for one’s wealth preservation portfolio. Especially when options for wealth preservation investments are limited! This year’s strength towards gold and silver price performance had us increase bitcoins percentage allocation within the long-term portfolio. It fulfills two valuable functions to firmly find its place under historically much longer established counterparts. Scarcity for stability, and a more considerable performance potential necessary to protect against inflation. Feel free to join us in our free Telegram channel for daily real time data and a great community. If you like to get regular updates on our gold model, precious metals and cryptocurrencies you can subscribe to our free newsletter. This article does not contain investment advice or recommendations. Every investment and trading move involves risk, and readers should conduct their own research when making a decision. The views, thoughts and opinions expressed here are the author’s alone. They do not necessarily reflect or represent the views and opinions of Midas Touch Consulting.

Luckily, it is not necessary to time market entry and exit precisely. What is essential is calculating risk itself and that risk to expected returns. In addition, strict management of the trade itself is required. Gold versus Silver in US-Dollar, monthly chart, risk versus reward: Gold versus Silver in US-Dollar, monthly chart as of November 12th, 2021. That being said, instead of getting distracted by a narrative of policymakers who might prolong the inevitable even for years possibly, we focus on the technical aspects that cannot be “rationalized” away and will be unaffected by market influencers. One such fact is the market relationship between silver’s more giant brother gold. The chart above tries to illustrate that gold is trading 10% below its all-time high. On the other hand, silver is trading 50% below its all-time high. This discrepancy makes silver the more desirable play (better risk/reward-ratio). The difference will work like a loaded spring, and once released, silver will outperform gold by a multiple. Gold in US-Dollar, monthly chart, gold leading strongly: Gold in US-Dollar, monthly chart as of November 13th, 2021. Now that we have found the right vehicle for a wealth preservation insurance play, we are looking for additional factors. Physical acquisition is a clear prosperous choice. It protects against inflation and the risk possibilities inherent to fiat currency, with much historical evidence. That leaves us the question of entry timing. Especially since the physical purchase has a broader spread and a reactionary lag over spot price trading, which is pretty much instant. The chart above clarifies why we see there to be leeway regarding being “right.” It is less critical to pinpoint the absolute lows versus overall participation. Especially since a lack of physical silver availability, which is a possibility, would erase the whole play. The monthly gold chart above is a strong indication that precious metals might be breaking to the upside. With this month’s strength, price pushing against the upper resistance line (white line) of a bullish triangle, silver prices mutually trailing higher is likely. Silver in US-Dollar, monthly chart, closely following gold: Silver in US-Dollar, monthly chart as of November 13th, 2021. With these necessary positive edges in play, we can now look at silver itself and look for possible low-risk entry points.The monthly chart shows mutual strength over the previous gold chart. Silver has pushed successfully through the problematic distribution zone around the US$24 price level. It still faces POC (point of control), the highest volume node of our fractal analysis, looming above US$26.03. With this many edges in our favor, we find this an excellent spot to add to physical silver holdings from a long-term holding perspective. Silver in US-Dollar, weekly chart, spot price play: Silver in US-Dollar, weekly chart as of November 13th, 2021. For a spot price play in the midterm time horizon, we are instead waiting for a possible price bounce of POC. A low-risk entry would be granted once the price retraces back into the US$24 to US$24.50 zone. Reyna Silver encounters multiple high-grade sulphide zones within 54.9 metres of near-source style skarn at Guigui: Silver, the waiting game: In market movement, we see expansion and compression, much like an oscillator. At certain times though, may it be a natural or man-made disaster, we can find ourselves in a stretched or amplified move. These times of abnormality from a time perspective require being well-prepared. Swift, disciplined actions following a clear planned roadmap are advised. An anticipated roadmap strictly followed. It is first a waiting game followed by quick action, both psychologically challenging environments. With physical acquisitions of metals, perfectionism in timing is paralysis. Not necessary to come out ahead. We find silver accumulation at this time to be a prudent measure to protect your wealth. Like buying insurance against an anticipated market turn. Feel free to join us in our free Telegram channel for daily real time data and a great community. If you like to get regular updates on our gold model, precious metals and cryptocurrencies you can also subscribe to our free newsletter. This article does not contain investment advice or recommendations. Every investment and trading move involves risk, and readers should conduct their own research when making a decision. The views, thoughts and opinions expressed here are the author’s alone. They do not necessarily reflect or represent the views and opinions of Midas Touch Consulting.

The S&P 500 index went sideways on Thursday following a decline from its last week’s high. Is the downward correction over? For in-depth technical analysis of various stocks and a recap of today's Stock Trading Alert we encourage you to watch   The S&P 500 index gained 0.06% on Thursday, as it fluctuated along the 4,650 level. On Wednesday it fell to the local low of 4,630.86 and it was almost 88 points or 1.86% below the last week’s Friday’s record high of 4,718.50. The recent rally was not broad-based and it was driven by a handful of tech stocks like MSFT, NVDA, TSLA. The market seemed overbought in the short-term and traded within a topping pattern. Today the index may extend a short-term consolidation. The nearest important support level remains at 4,630-4,650 and the next support level is at 4,600. On the other hand, the resistance level is at 4,700-4,720. The S&P 500 broke below its steep short-term upward trend line, as we can see on the daily chart (chart by courtesy of http://stockcharts.com): Nasdaq’s Downward Correction Let’s take a look at the Nasdaq 100 chart. The technology index broke above the 16,000 level last week and on Friday it was trading at the new record high. The market accelerated higher above its short-term upward trend line. But since then it has been retracing the rally. The resistance level remains at 16,400, and the short-term support level is at 16,000, among others, as we can see on the daily chart: Apple Remains Relatively Weak, Microsoft Breaks Below the Trend Line Let’s take a look at the two biggest stocks in the S&P 500 index, AAPL and MSFT. Apple came back below the $150 price level. It is still well below the early September record high. Microsoft stock was reaching new record highs recently but on Wednesday it broke below its upward trend line. So the megacaps tech stocks turned lower, as we can see on their daily charts: Conclusion The S&P 500 index was little changed on Thursday and today it is expected to retrace some of its recent declines. So is the downward correction over? For now, there has been no confirmed short-term upward reversal and we may see some more consolidation below the 4,700 mark. The market may go sideways today, as investors keep taking short-term profits off the table following the recent economic and quarterly corporate earnings releases. Here’s the breakdown: The S&P 500 retraced some of its record-breaking rally in the last few trading sessions – for now it looks like a downward correction. Still no positions are justified from the risk/reward point of view. Like what you’ve read? Subscribe for our daily newsletter today, and you'll get 7 days of FREE access to our premium daily Stock Trading Alerts as well as our other Alerts. Sign up for the free newsletter today! Thank you. Paul Rejczak, Stock Trading Strategist Sunshine Profits: Effective Investments through Diligence and Care * * * * * The information above represents analyses and opinions of Paul Rejczak & Sunshine Profits' associates only. As such, it may prove wrong and be subject to change without notice. At the time of writing, we base our opinions and analyses on facts and data sourced from respective essays and their authors. Although formed on top of careful research and reputably accurate sources, Paul Rejczak and his associates cannot guarantee the reported data's accuracy and thoroughness. The opinions published above neither recommend nor offer any securities transaction. Mr. Rejczak is not a Registered Securities Advisor. By reading his reports you fully agree that he will not be held responsible or liable for any decisions you make regarding any information provided in these reports. Investing, trading and speculation in any financial markets may involve high risk of loss. Paul Rejczak, Sunshine Profits' employees, affiliates as well as their family members may have a short or long position in any securities, including those mentioned in any of the reports or essays, and may make additional purchases and/or sales of those securities without notice.

We find ourselves ensued in various battles. Environmentally, economically, and from a human perspective. As much as it is questionable if coal and oil, centralized money, and wars (attacks on ourselves) hold a prosperous future, change is typically avoided. There have been moments in history where rapid change happened. Most often introduced by a charismatic human being with a compelling principle at a defining moment when a change was needed. S&P 500 Index versus BTC in US-Dollar, Monthly Chart, bitcoin an answer to crisis? S&P 500 Index versus Bitcoin in US-Dollar, Monthly chart as of November 16th, 2021. The bitcoin idea was born as a response to the crash of 2008. In its principles, diametrical to fiat currencies. Bitcoin is decentralized, limited, deflationary and digital. There is no historical event where increased money printing has resolved economic turmoil. And yet, we have not come up with a better solution, or at least we have not implemented it yet. The chart above shows how shortly after the crash of 2008, the first transaction ever sent on the bitcoin blockchain was completed in January 2009.Coincidence? It took some time until the cryptocurrency’s pseudonymous creator Satoshi Nakamoto found traction with his idea reflected in bitcoin’s price rise. Still, it has not just caught up but outperformed the market by a stunning margin. BTC in US-Dollar, Monthly Chart, don’t underestimate powerful ideas: Bitcoin versus gold and silver in US-Dollar, Monthly chart as of November 16th, 2021. Covid provided like a steroid a means to illustrate many shortcomings in a magnified way. The chart above shows that bitcoin speculation was an answer to where many find a more prosperous future compared to precious metals. In addition to fundamentals and technical, the underlying idea and hope for a transitory future got traction when people were most afraid.   BTC in US-Dollar, Monthly Chart, sitting through turmoil with ease: Bitcoin in US-Dollar, Monthly chart as of November 16th, 2021. Dissecting markets like this in all their shades and facets is necessary for discovering underlying currents, motivation, and sustainability of trends. In bitcoins case, the found strength of application, beliefs, and principles inherent in bitcoin itself and its traders allows for sitting more easily through its volatility swings. Once the mind grasps reason, it tolerates easier, otherwise hardships to trade a volatile vehicle like bitcoin. With a battle ensured on this magnitude and for an expected long duration, one can accept deep retracements in a more tranquil fashion. The monthly chart above shows that bitcoin might face one of those quick dips that hodlers accept, knowing that the battle isn’t over yet. Bitcoin, a battle for freedom: Mills are grinding slowly. Change typically takes time, and those holding the reign over financial power will certainly not surrender such summoned energies lightly. While this world certainly needs a more adaptive behavior of humanity both for its wellbeing and the planet itself, it is unlikely that a shift, if at all, will be swift. This means that bitcoin is a continued struggle to establish itself. And this will result in continued high volatility for the years to come. As such, it will remain an excellent opportunity for the individual investor. Feel free to join us in our free Telegram channel for daily real time data and a great community. If you like to get regular updates on our gold model, precious metals and cryptocurrencies you can subscribe to our free newsletter. This article does not contain investment advice or recommendations. Every investment and trading move involves risk, and readers should conduct their own research when making a decision. The views, thoughts and opinions expressed here are the author’s alone. They do not necessarily reflect or represent the views and opinions of Midas Touch Consulting.

The decentralised oracle network ChainLink works by connecting contracts with data from around the world. Now one of the most popular cryptocurrencies, it can make you wonder where the next big cryptocurrency will be coming from and, more importantly, how to get on board before it explodes in popularity. It is time to introduce you to Coversting. What Is Covesting? Covesting is an international fintech corporation which offers an array of software solutions for customers across the world. Recognising the importance of being based in a country where the government fully supports what the company is about, Covesting is based in Gibraltar. Quickly becoming one of the first companies in the world to receive a Distributed Ledger Technology License, also referred to as DLT, from the authorities in the British Overseas Territory, Covesting has its own token; COV. Developing their own platform, Covesting connects traders with a variety of followers, a little similar to social media, allowing for both the follower and the trader to make profitable gains. Traders earn a small fee from the equity of their followers, while the followers benefit from hassle free trading by following the trader’s most successful strategies. This process is known as ‘copy trading’. Partnership with PrimeXBT Now available to everyone via PrimeXBT, the Covesting platform allows traders to make profit from each other as well as their own followers. To make capital, transparency is key. Traders create funds with their best strategies which users can then easily verify, along with the track record of the trader and how much money has been invested into each fund. If traders are able to build and maintain a good reputation, they will be able to generate a second income by attracting new followers. Users can view traders objectively, looking at their results and only invest when they are comfortable they have selected the right trader for them. This way, capital can be generated passively without knowledge of the market or any trading skills. PrimeXBT Offering services such as foreign exchange and stock indices, PrimeXBT is a Bitcoin based trading platform. With trading volumes over $1 billion (USD), in 2020 the company won ‘Best Bitcoin Margin Trading Platform’ at the International Financial Awards. As a platform, PrimeXBT can provide up to one hundred times leverage for cryptocurrencies, a wide range of technical analysis tools and extra security for efficient and safe trading. Why Will COV Be Popular? With a limited supply of tokens, only 18 million COV tokens are in circulation and half of these are held in ‘strong hands’. Holders of the tokens gain access to benefits and COV utilities will be divided up between Secondary and Core token utilities. Moving forward, Covesting plans to partner with other third parties to increase the utilities offered to token holders. So what will a COV token be used for? Well, it will be integrated into PrimeXBT and will be used for a number of functions. These include: Trading Fee Reduction Fee reduction tiers will range from between 10% and 100%, and the level of reduction permitted will depend on the amount of COV tokens held. The number of tokens required for each level reduction will be announced at a later date though there are a variety of options and benefits available. Improving Success Fee Percentage Followers can favourably increase the percentage of success fees by staking tokens and taking advantage of its utility. At the moment, Covesting takes a percentage of success fees on closed profitable trades. Determined by the corresponding offer, Covesting then distributes the remaining percentage between the follower, the strategy manager and the platform. Offers are subject to change depending on the current market conditions. By staking a certain amount of COV tokens, Covesting has a smaller percentage, with a larger share going to the follower on profits made by the strategy manager. Increasing Following Limits In order to keep token utility levels high, Covesting implements limitations on the maximum number of unique followers permitted, in addition to imposing limitations on capital. Staking COV tokens unlocks followers and raises capital limits. Token Burns Covesting will burn a portion of fees generated at regular intervals throughout the year. Calculated fees will exclude affiliate earnings, fee discounts and various other revenue impacts. COV tokens have a lot of potential in a relatively short time frame, being traded on KuCoin and Inter Alia. Covesting is surrounded by a very supportive community with the price reaction to Covesting’s module launch on PrimeXBT being extremely positive. In Summary The best piece of advice you can get is to visit the Covesting website and carry out your own research about the token before deciding whether or not to invest. You may also wish to try your hand at trading cryptocurrency on PrimeXBT. If you follow this link, you will receive a welcome bonus of $50 when you sign up. When you start to follow traders, it is important to remember that their past results are not a guarantee of any future results. You should also look at how long a certain strategy has been live on the platform. For example, the newer the strategy the more risk it involves and following some strategies can result in financial losses. This said, if you cannot afford to lose capital, do not invest until you are prepared to accept the risk of loss. Reasons for Holding COV Main reasons for holding COV tokens include: Trusted, licensed company Limited token supply Under the radar at the moment Future utility plans Top TradingView analyst recommendations Token burns Strong sense of community

PrimeXBT, your award-winning trading platform, has been upgraded to deliver even more value to the trading community. This upgrade includes several improvements to the platform's appearance and interface. But the biggest reason for the upgrade is the addition of Ethereum and stablecoin based margin accounts. In this guide, you will find all you need to know about the introduction of ETH, USDT, and USDC margin accounts, as well as other features of PrimeXBT's upgrade to version 2.0. Welcome To Version 2.0 When you first log into your account (since the upgrade), you’ll be greeted with a message introducing the updates. There are a few slides that also inform you of all the new features that have been added. You’ll notice that the dashboard has been reorganized and now includes a Main account section. This section provides you with the information you need regarding your margin accounts, wallet, followings or Covesting accounts, and more. The New Main Page Shows You All You Need In One Glance You can execute several operations from the Main page because it provides you everything you need at a glance. Some of these tasks include initiating withdrawals, making deposits, viewing your balances, creating margin accounts, and more. No matter the cryptocurrency (BTC, ETH, USDC, and USDT), you can create a separate margin account for each. You can also deposit COV tokens, but these are not for your margin accounts. Their use will be explained further in this guide. To fund any account from your PrimeXBT’s Main page, you have to deposit funds into the secure cryptocurrency address for that account. You can find the address within your PrimeXBT account dashboard. Once funded, you will need to move the crypto into the margin account from your wallet. New Accounts In ETH, USDC, and USDT With the Bitcoin-based margin trading, PrimeXBT earned many awards. Now there’s more! PrimeXBT has added Ethereum, Tether, and USD Coin. This is one of the Version 2.0 upgrade's most significant features and has been merged into the same account system and internal trading engine. You can use these currencies beyond Bitcoin-based margin trading. Get a free account with PrimeXBT and start trading with a small minimum deposit. You can sign up in less than 59 seconds, so do so now if you haven't registered with PrimeXBT. There are more than 50 CFDs for you to trade on PrimeXBT, and they cut across stock indices, commodities, crypto, Forex, and more. You can trade all of these within each individual currency type. You will find isolated account details within each dedicated margin account. Your All-New Reports Section PrimeXBT has also added a Reports section which contains detailed vital account information. You can find information such as a log of all your transactions in this section. This makes tax reporting and bookkeeping very easy. The Updated Referral Section As a result of the inclusion of these new currencies, the referral section has also been upgraded. This section of the website now lists commissions in whichever currencies new users trade in. In order words, if a user trades in Ethereum, commissions are generated and paid out in Ethereum. So, when you refer anyone to PrimeXBT, you will get your commissions in the currencies the user trades in. The referral system includes simple referral links you can use on different media, including forums and social media. You can share it with friends and loved ones too. Depending on where you are on PrimeXBT’s four-level referral system, you can get as much as 20% commissions per referral. Enhancements To The Covesting Copy Trading The Covesting Trading Module has been an innovative copy trading system connecting followers to strategy managers. The system makes it possible for both parties to earn and profit. With the addition of ETH, USDC, and USDT, this module has also been upgraded to support these cryptos and given a facelift. How Covesting Copy Trading Works Strategy managers post their trades for followers to copy. When they close their positions, both parties earn. These more skilled traders earn a commission (success fees) off of followers’ capital commissions. These commissions can add up quickly, and the top Covesting traders have already earned millions in commissions, as well as generated millions for their followers. Traders are reviewed by a five-star system that spurs everyone to be at their best. They are then ranked accordingly and displayed on global leaderboards, with different success factors, including their wins, total profits, and even losses, highlighted. With the inclusion of other currencies in version 2.0 of PrimeXBT, followers can only follow strategy managers in like-currencies, thus encouraging a diversified Covesting community. Followers with ETH-based margin accounts can now only follow strategy managers with the same currency accounts. We mentioned the COV utility token earlier. It is at the heart of the Covesting copy trading module and can be used to unlock many other benefits within the module. More PrimeXBT Features PrimeXBT has so many incredible features for traders. Some of these include responsive customer service, Turbo, an official blog containing lots of trading tips, educational guides, and more. Turbo With Turbo, you (all traders) have access to unique ways to position yourself in the market. It also includes an analysis section that that seamlessly integrates with TradingView for an incredible technical analysis and risk management experience, and more. Blog & News The company's blog and news tabs keep you updated with news and market information and content to help you become your better version of the trader you are and make the most of your trades. Security PrimeXBT prioritizes security. The platform is highly secure and built on bank-grade security infrastructure. With the help of a distinctive wallet structure that involves cold storage, the platform has never been hack. Each account is secured with address white-listing and two-factor authentication. PrimeXBT also boasts a 99.9% uptime. 24/7 Responsive Customer Support Besides all the fantastic features of PrimeXBT, one of its best is its 24/7 live customer support staff. They are trained and ever-ready to assist you with whatever issues you might have. There’s also a help center containing tutorials to help you with anything. Advanced Trading Tools PrimeXBT’s upgrade to version 2.0 offers traders an all-in-one platform for the complete trading experience. It contains all the advanced trading tools necessary to become the successful trader you always dreamed of while also minimizing risks. It has the best slippage in the industry with stop-loss orders to ensure capital preservation. It also offers you excellent opportunities with its leverages and diverse ways to access the markets. Stable Coins For Added Risk Protection Bitcoin and Ethereum are known to be subject to base currency account volatility. This type of volatility spurred many users to request the addition of stablecoins. With the inclusion of USDT and USDC, traders can now eliminate all risks associated with such volatility. This is one of the fundamental reasons for the upgrade to version 2.0. Today Is Your Best Time To Trade CFDs On An Award-Winning Platform With PrimeXBT's upgrade to version 2.0, you can now use BTC, ETH, USDT, and USDC for margin accounts. You can trade any combination of the most popular markets, including the S&P 500, Bitcoin, Forex, oil, and gold. And you can do this anywhere you are, digitally. All you need is our award-winning platform that has all the basic and advanced tools to help you reach your trading and financial dreams. Use PrimeXBT’s V2.0 Today!

MetaTrader & FBS Trader app are two essential tools that every trader should use. Don’t rely only on one, use the power of both as they suit different trader needs. In short, MetaTrader is for trading on a laptop/PC, while the FBS Trader app is perfect for mobile trading. Let’s look at how you can use them! MetaTrader When you want to use a personal computer or laptop for trading, you can choose MetaTrader 4 or 5. They are the two versions of one software program that traders use for opening orders and making an advanced technical analysis. MetaTrader offers different technical tools and allows using trading robots (expert advisors). Besides, you can use the FBS Forex broker app to manage your MetaTrader accounts and control finances. FBS Trader app If you want to trade with your mobile phone or just don’t have an opportunity to trade with a PC at the moment, the FBS Trader app is the best choice. Indeed, we can’t sit in front of our personal computers and monitor trades all day long. What to do? The solution is to have the FBS Trader app on your mobile phone and be able to open/close a trade in just one click wherever you are. It’s handy that all your active orders are gathered in a separate section. Besides, imagine that some economic news comes out that can impact your opened trades but you are not nearby your PC. It wouldn’t be a problem if you have the FBS Trader app on your phone. In addition, this app has a built-in economic calendar that allows traders to follow impactful news and analyze the charts without leaving the app. For example, the Bank of England left the rates unchanged during its meeting on November 4, while it was expected to raise them. As a result, the British pound weakened, and GBP/USD dropped. As you may notice in the chart below, you can add technical indicators in the FBS Trader app. In that case, Bollinger Bands could help a trader to confirm the bearish momentum as bands were moving in a narrow range and the price broke through the lower band. Finally, the FBS Trader app allows you to manage your funds freely without leaving the app. You can deposit and withdraw them easily in a few clicks. All in all, MetaTrader and the FBS Trader app are the perfect combination for trading. Enjoy using them!

Weekly chart, Silver in US-Dollar, strong along gold: Silver in US-Dollar, weekly chart as of November 20th, 2021. The weekly chart illustrates price behavior over the last 15 months. Silver prices are trading near the center of the sideways range. Gold in US-Dollar, weekly chart, rumors shrugged off: Gold in US-Dollar, weekly chart as of November 20th, 2021. The weekly chart of gold isn’t much different from where prices stand. In short, there is no evidence that gold has lost its luster. Otherwise, we would see silver trading in a relationship much lower. Rumors are just that – rumors! Silver is shrugging them off. Silver in US-Dollar, quarterly chart, room to go: Silver in US-Dollar, quarterly chart as of November 20th, 2021. A historical review with a quarterly chart over the last eighteen years reveals that silver prices can sustain extreme extensions from the mean (yellow line) for extended periods. Using the extreme of the second quarter in 2011 as a projective measurement (orange vertical line) for an upcoming target would provide for a price target more than 10% above all-time highs at US$56. In addition, the chart shows that we find ourselves in a strong quarter so far, which is in alignment with cyclical probabilities. Silver in US-Dollar, weekly chart, prepping the play: Silver in US-Dollar, weekly chart as of November 20th, 2021. Trade setup Let us return to the weekly time frame for a possible low-risk entry scenario with this target in mind.We find a supply zone based on fractal transactional volume analysis near the price of US$24.11 and US$22.65. Both attractive entry zones for excellent risk/reward-ratio plays.   Phase 1 drilling program at Guigui discovered not only the largest intrusive ever found in the district, but it’s the first mineralized skarn ever seen in Guigui! Silver, shrugging off attacks: It will not be rumors, doubts, and speculations that will be the catalyst for silvers’ success or failure. It isn’t a question of “if,” but just a question of “when” we will see the next massive price advance in this precious metal. The odds are stacked too much in favor of a continued price movement up that the long-term investor should let doubts allow for diverging from a splendid opportunity to partake in wealth preservation and a very profitable way to participate in a chance rarely presented this prominent. Feel free to join us in our free Telegram channel for daily real time data and a great community. If you like to get regular updates on our gold model, precious metals and cryptocurrencies you can also subscribe to our free newsletter. This article does not contain investment advice or recommendations. Every investment and trading move involves risk, and readers should conduct their own research when making a decision. The views, thoughts and opinions expressed here are the author’s alone. They do not necessarily reflect or represent the views and opinions of Midas Touch Consulting. By Korbinian Koller|November 20th, 2021|Tags: Crack-Up-Boom, Gold, Gold bullish, Gold/Silver-Ratio, inflation, low risk, Silver, silver bull, Silver Chartbook, silversqueeze, technical analysis, time frame, trading principles|0 Comments About the Author: Korbinian Koller Outstanding abstract reasoning ability and ability to think creatively and originally has led over the last 25 years to extract new principles and a unique way to view the markets resulting in a multitude of various time frame systems, generating high hit rates and outstanding risk reward ratios. Over 20 years of coaching traders with heart & passion, assessing complex situations, troubleshoot and solve problems principle based has led to experience and a professional history of success. Skilled natural teacher and exceptional developer of talent. Avid learner guided by a plan with ability to suppress ego and empower students to share ideas and best practices and to apply principle-based technical/conceptual knowledge to maximize efficiency. 25+ year execution experience (50.000+ trades executed) Trading multiple personal accounts (long and short-and combinations of the two). Amazing market feel complementing mechanical systems discipline for precise and extreme low risk entries while objectively seeing the whole picture. Ability to notice and separate emotional responses from the decision-making process and to stand outside oneself and one’s concerns about images in order to function in terms of larger objectives. Developed exit strategies that compensate both for maximizing profits and psychological ease to allow for continuous flow throughout the whole trading day. In depth knowledge of money management strategies with the experience of multiple 6 sigma events in various markets (futures, stocks, commodities, currencies, bonds) embedded in extreme low risk statistical probability models with smooth equity curves and extensive risk management as well as extensive disaster risk allow for my natural capacity for risk-taking.

With this psychological burden, you want to stack your odds as good as possible to gain an edge for balance. Bitcoin provides such advantages. The inherent volatility allows for follow-through after an entry. In other words, one gets good risk/reward-ratios in midterm plays on bitcoin. Also, necessary for the long-term time frame player since hodling has another psychological hurdle that piled on top can be devastating. You won’t find many traders who bought a bundle of bitcoin when it traded at a dollar and are still holding it without ever having sold or rebought some. BTC in US-Dollar, Quarterly Chart, the Doji explosion: Bitcoin in US-Dollar, Quarterly chart as of November 23rd, 2021. The quarterly chart of bitcoin shows how explosive moves to the upside can be. If you look at the yellow lines, you will see that a small Doji builds after a retracement, and then prices explode within the next quarter like rockets. This trading behavior provides for sensational risk/reward-ratios. The quarterly chart shows a bullish quarter. Even though all-time highs have been rejected, we see the year ending on a bullish note. The great thing about this self-directed profession, on the other hand, is that you get all the credit. Work directly translates into money, without the typical step in between, selling a product or a service. If you are good at what you are doing in the trading/investing arena, rewards can be more than plentiful. No gift baskets need to be sent to a boss or coworker. True rewards for arduous work to yourself. A very self-fulfilling profession indeed. BTC in US-Dollar, Monthly Chart, most often trending: Bitcoin in US-Dollar, Monthly chart as of November 23rd, 2021. The monthly chart illustrates the steepness of the trend, and yellow lines provide a possible long reload opportunity, which will take all-time highs out next year. Another benefit for individual traders choosing to trade bitcoin is its unique personality of trending much more than most trading instruments. This unique feature adds a massive edge to a trader’s trading arsenal. BTC in US-Dollar, Weekly Chart, freeing investment capital fast: Bitcoin in US-Dollar, weekly chart as of November 23rd, 2021. But this isn’t all. From a trading perspective, bitcoin supports the unsupported individual in comparison to gold or silver as alternate wealth preservation tools due to its speed. Risk is the most defining aspect for a trader, and consequently, capital exposure time is the most crucial aspect. After all, the longer money is in the market, the more exposed it is, let’s say, to unexpected news and six sigma events. Market money parked cannot produce elsewhere and is also emotionally draining. No such thing in bitcoin.A look at the weekly time frame illustrates what we mean by this. It took less than eight weeks for bitcoin to gain staggering percentage moves within the first and second leg in this steep regression channel up. We also just entered a low-risk entry zone again for a third leg to mature. In short, you are all alone with bitcoin, but at least you picked the most ideal alliance with this trading vehicle to stack the odds in your favor. All alone with bitcoin: The business of market play is unique. You’re not learning this skill in school, mentors are hard to come by, and it isn’t a group sport. It is advisable to seek out a community of like-minded traders like our free telegram channel, since spouses rarely can comprehend the steepness of the learning curve and the challenges of constant self-reflection and pain until the consistency is mastered.  While one typically can team up and is supported within a group at the mastery level required, it’s a solo sport in trading.  Statistics support that the likeliest reason for failure in this business is underestimating the time required to acquire all the important skills necessary for success. New traders run either out of money or patience.  The press makes it look so easy, and the fact that all one needs to do is press a button doesn’t help towards a more respectful attitude. Yet, the mere truth is that it is one of the most demanding businesses to find oneself into. Feel free to join us in our free Telegram channel for daily real time data and a great community. If you like to get regular updates on our gold model, precious metals and cryptocurrencies you can subscribe to our free newsletter. This article does not contain investment advice or recommendations. Every investment and trading move involves risk, and readers should conduct their own research when making a decision. The views, thoughts and opinions expressed here are the author’s alone. They do not necessarily reflect or represent the views and opinions of Midas Touch Consulting. By Korbinian Koller|November 23rd, 2021|Tags: Bitcoin, bitcoin consolidation, crypto analysis, Crypto Bull, crypto chartbook, DeFi, low risk, quad exit, technical analysis, trading education|0 Comments About the Author: Korbinian Koller Outstanding abstract reasoning ability and ability to think creatively and originally has led over the last 25 years to extract new principles and a unique way to view the markets resulting in a multitude of various time frame systems, generating high hit rates and outstanding risk reward ratios. Over 20 years of coaching traders with heart & passion, assessing complex situations, troubleshoot and solve problems principle based has led to experience and a professional history of success. Skilled natural teacher and exceptional developer of talent. Avid learner guided by a plan with ability to suppress ego and empower students to share ideas and best practices and to apply principle-based technical/conceptual knowledge to maximize efficiency. 25+ year execution experience (50.000+ trades executed) Trading multiple personal accounts (long and short-and combinations of the two). Amazing market feel complementing mechanical systems discipline for precise and extreme low risk entries while objectively seeing the whole picture. Ability to notice and separate emotional responses from the decision-making process and to stand outside oneself and one’s concerns about images in order to function in terms of larger objectives. Developed exit strategies that compensate both for maximizing profits and psychological ease to allow for continuous flow throughout the whole trading day. In depth knowledge of money management strategies with the experience of multiple 6 sigma events in various markets (futures, stocks, commodities, currencies, bonds) embedded in extreme low risk statistical probability models with smooth equity curves and extensive risk management as well as extensive disaster risk allow for my natural capacity for risk-taking.

The S&P 500 index nearly topped its record high on Friday, but it closed lower following an intraday decline. Is this a topping pattern? For in-depth technical analysis of various stocks and a recap of today's Stock Trading Alert we encourage you to watch . The S&P 500 index lost 0.14% on Friday, Nov. 19, as it extended its short-term consolidation along the 4,700 level. The broad stock market went sideways despite record-breaking rallies in large tech stocks like AAPL, MSFT and NVDA. It still looks like a short-term topping pattern, as the S&P 500 index keeps bouncing from the Nov. 5 record high of 4,718.50. The nearest important support level remains at 4,630-4,650 and the next support level is at 4,600. On the other hand, the resistance level is at 4,700-4,720. The S&P 500 continues to trade along the 4,700 level, as we can see on the daily chart (chart by courtesy of http://stockcharts.com): Nasdaq Reached the New Record High Let’s take a look at the Nasdaq 100 chart. The technology index reached the new record high of 16,625.86 on Friday, led by megacap tech stock rallies. It accelerated above its short-term upward trend line after breaking above the resistance level of 16,400 on Thursday. There have been no confirmed negative signals so far. However, we can see some short-term overbought conditions. Apple and Microsoft at New Record Highs Let’s take a look at the two biggest stocks in the S&P 500 index, AAPL and MSFT. Apple accelerated its uptrend after breaking above the resistance level of around $152-154. It reached the new record high on Friday at $161.02. Microsoft slightly extended its recent advance, as it reached the new record high of $345.10. The two biggest megacap tech stocks reached new record highs, as we can see on their daily charts: Conclusion The S&P 500 index is expected to open 0.4% higher this morning. We will likely see some more short-term fluctuations along the record high level. For now, it looks like a short-term consolidation and a flat correction within an uptrend. Here’s the breakdown: The S&P 500 is fluctuating along the 4,700 level. For now, it looks like a short-term consolidation following the October-November rally. Still no positions are justified from the risk/reward point of view. Like what you’ve read? Subscribe for our daily newsletter today, and you'll get 7 days of FREE access to our premium daily Stock Trading Alerts as well as our other Alerts. Sign up for the free newsletter today! Thank you. Paul Rejczak, Stock Trading Strategist Sunshine Profits: Effective Investments through Diligence and Care * * * * * The information above represents analyses and opinions of Paul Rejczak & Sunshine Profits' associates only. As such, it may prove wrong and be subject to change without notice. At the time of writing, we base our opinions and analyses on facts and data sourced from respective essays and their authors. Although formed on top of careful research and reputably accurate sources, Paul Rejczak and his associates cannot guarantee the reported data's accuracy and thoroughness. The opinions published above neither recommend nor offer any securities transaction. Mr. Rejczak is not a Registered Securities Advisor. By reading his reports you fully agree that he will not be held responsible or liable for any decisions you make regarding any information provided in these reports. Investing, trading and speculation in any financial markets may involve high risk of loss. Paul Rejczak, Sunshine Profits' employees, affiliates as well as their family members may have a short or long position in any securities, including those mentioned in any of the reports or essays, and may make additional purchases and/or sales of those securities without notice.

Monthly chart, Silver in US-Dollar, favorable timing: Silver in US-Dollar, monthly chart as of November 26th, 2021. Timing for a physical acquisition is in alignment as well. The monthly chart shows a high likelihood for November’s candle closing as an inverted hammer. Consequently, it provides for silver prices approaching the low end of the last 17-month sideways range near US$22. The white line assumes a potential price projection for 2022. Even if we are wrong with our assessment, a gift of silver for a long-term horizon is highly likely to appreciate from momentary levels to a much higher price target. Silver in US-Dollar, weekly chart, silver on Christmas gift list: Silver in US-Dollar, weekly chart as of November 26th, 2021. The value of a gift like this doesn’t stop there. Numismatics provides for children and teenagers a way to study history. Beautiful coins and bars inspire us to hold on to value for future times and encourage saving. The weekly silver chart shows in a bit more detail possible price expansion from a time perspective. This would be our most conservative picture of the future. The green bordered box is an entry zone for a potential reversal to the upside. With a high likelihood of an interest rate change by the Federal Reserve Bank in the second quarter of 2022, the inner yellow curve supersedes in probability for the expected time frame for a price increase. Silver in US-Dollar, daily chart, physical only, spot to risky: Silver in US-Dollar, daily chart as of November 26th, 2021. If you look at the daily chart above, you will find that we have seen a swift downward move in the past. Under our beauty principle, there is a good likelihood that this might occur again. If so, reaction times are much longer with a physical purchase than with spot price trading. Meaning there is no need to precision trade (precision purchase) physical silver, but be not spooked if a swift, extended decline might happen. Consequently, we are pointing this purchase out for physical acquisition only but do not advise taking a spot price position based on the risk.   Phase 1 drilling program at Guigui discovered not only the largest intrusive ever found in the district, but it’s the first mineralized skarn ever seen in Guigui! Silver on Christmas gift list: In this bargain hunting season around Black Friday, we find it is especially sensible to refocus and ask different questions. The human psyche is prone to give in to instant gratification, especially after the hard time the last two years provided. But with this much at stake for 2022, possibly being a year that sets a mark in history, it might be more prudent to look for wealth preservation in a longer time horizon to invest one’s fiat currencies rather than short-lived pleasures. After all, a careful look for generations to come, your children, is a view most valuable in general. Feel free to join us in our free Telegram channel for daily real time data and a great community. If you like to get regular updates on our gold model, precious metals and cryptocurrencies you can also subscribe to our free newsletter. This article does not contain investment advice or recommendations. Every investment and trading move involves risk, and readers should conduct their own research when making a decision. The views, thoughts and opinions expressed here are the author’s alone. They do not necessarily reflect or represent the views and opinions of Midas Touch Consulting. By Korbinian Koller|November 26th, 2021|Tags: Crack-Up-Boom, Gold, Gold/Silver-Ratio, inflation, low risk, Silver, silver bull, Silver Chartbook, silversqueeze, technical analysis, time frame, trading principles|0 Comments About the Author: Korbinian Koller Outstanding abstract reasoning ability and ability to think creatively and originally has led over the last 25 years to extract new principles and a unique way to view the markets resulting in a multitude of various time frame systems, generating high hit rates and outstanding risk reward ratios. Over 20 years of coaching traders with heart & passion, assessing complex situations, troubleshoot and solve problems principle based has led to experience and a professional history of success. Skilled natural teacher and exceptional developer of talent. Avid learner guided by a plan with ability to suppress ego and empower students to share ideas and best practices and to apply principle-based technical/conceptual knowledge to maximize efficiency. 25+ year execution experience (50.000+ trades executed) Trading multiple personal accounts (long and short-and combinations of the two). Amazing market feel complementing mechanical systems discipline for precise and extreme low risk entries while objectively seeing the whole picture. Ability to notice and separate emotional responses from the decision-making process and to stand outside oneself and one’s concerns about images in order to function in terms of larger objectives. Developed exit strategies that compensate both for maximizing profits and psychological ease to allow for continuous flow throughout the whole trading day. In depth knowledge of money management strategies with the experience of multiple 6 sigma events in various markets (futures, stocks, commodities, currencies, bonds) embedded in extreme low risk statistical probability models with smooth equity curves and extensive risk management as well as extensive disaster risk allow for my natural capacity for risk-taking.

Nevertheless, this might be over soon. Regulation might kill the majority of the expanded crypto world. Bitcoin might be banned, as it has been in the past in various countries. And yet, once fiat currency value implodes, bitcoin will be the last man standing. BTC in US-Dollar, Weekly Chart, last weeks call on the nose: Bitcoin in US-Dollar, weekly chart as of November 23rd, 2021. We posted the above weekly chart of bitcoin in last week’s chart book release. We anticipated a low-risk entry. BTC in US-Dollar, Weekly Chart, as planned: Bitcoin in US-Dollar, Weekly chart as of November 29th, 2021. Since then, prices have swiftly penetrated our entry zone. We caught two trades, a daily and a weekly time frame position. We posted these trades (entries and the partial exits), as usual, in real-time in our free Telegram channel.Furthermore, we employ a quad exit strategy that ensures instant risk elimination by quickly taking half of the position off. With entries of US$ 53,877 (daily timeframe trade) and US$ 54,000 (weekly timeframe trade), we were able, with first exits at US$ 54,591 and US$ 55,797, to not only eliminate risk but ensure profits on half of the positions of 1.33% and 3.33%. As well our next following targets have been reached! We took another 25% of position size out at US$ 55,811.6 and US$ 57,317.7, which booked us another 3.59% return on the daily position and 6.14% on the weekly position. The remaining 25% of position sizes on each trade we call runners. With stops set now at break-even entry levels, we can only produce additional winnings for each trade. Each trade had tight stops, assuring less than half a percent of risk per trade.   BTC in US-Dollar, Monthly Chart, modest odds for follow through: Bitcoin in US-Dollar, Monthly chart as of November 30th, 2021. The possible contrarian short signal on the monthly chart makes the weekly trades success probabilities for the runner smaller. Nevertheless, this quad exit approach allows for low-risk positioning versus endless mind chatter and debate since it is typical that different time frames show different long, short and sideways plays. Here, bitcoin again overcomes adversity. Typically, tight ranged instruments erase many trade opportunities for profit margins relating to commissions and risk to small. The earlier mentioned profit percent numbers are typical for bitcoins volatility and, as such, allow for risk reduction and short- to midterm profitability being more extensive than the average S&P500 annual return. Bitcoin, overcoming adversity: Bitcoin will be the cure to inflation damage for those you invested in it in a timely manner. Inflation is a creeping disease to money. Humans seem to have in history always procrastinated towards dangers of inflation, mostly since inflation treads slowly. Inflation also holds illusions supporting hope, hope that also fuels procrastination. While most who suffer under inflationary times think prices for goods went up, the reality is that monetary value went down. With this illusion, we hold on to stock portfolios seemingly rising, bonds, 401ks, and Roth IRAs trusting governments for the status quo to be protected or at least trouble to be temporary. Much more likely, most citizens are drained of their savings and cheated out of their retirements. At the end of such a monetary devaluation cycle, it will be the last time bitcoin will defend its place.  Doubt will finally vanish. Unfortunately, too late for those who did not educate themselves early enough to find a haven in this principled way to protect one’s wealth. Feel free to join us in our free Telegram channel for daily real time data and a great community. If you like to get regular updates on our gold model, precious metals and cryptocurrencies you can subscribe to our free newsletter. This article does not contain investment advice or recommendations. Every investment and trading move involves risk, and readers should conduct their own research when making a decision. The views, thoughts and opinions expressed here are the author’s alone. They do not necessarily reflect or represent the views and opinions of Midas Touch Consulting. By Korbinian Koller|November 29th, 2021|Tags: Bitcoin, Bitcoin bounce, Bitcoin bullish, bitcoin consolidation, crypto analysis, Crypto Bull, crypto chartbook, DeFi, low risk, quad exit, technical analysis, trading education|0 Comments About the Author: Korbinian Koller Outstanding abstract reasoning ability and ability to think creatively and originally has led over the last 25 years to extract new principles and a unique way to view the markets resulting in a multitude of various time frame systems, generating high hit rates and outstanding risk reward ratios. Over 20 years of coaching traders with heart & passion, assessing complex situations, troubleshoot and solve problems principle based has led to experience and a professional history of success. Skilled natural teacher and exceptional developer of talent. Avid learner guided by a plan with ability to suppress ego and empower students to share ideas and best practices and to apply principle-based technical/conceptual knowledge to maximize efficiency. 25+ year execution experience (50.000+ trades executed) Trading multiple personal accounts (long and short-and combinations of the two). Amazing market feel complementing mechanical systems discipline for precise and extreme low risk entries while objectively seeing the whole picture. Ability to notice and separate emotional responses from the decision-making process and to stand outside oneself and one’s concerns about images in order to function in terms of larger objectives. Developed exit strategies that compensate both for maximizing profits and psychological ease to allow for continuous flow throughout the whole trading day. In depth knowledge of money management strategies with the experience of multiple 6 sigma events in various markets (futures, stocks, commodities, currencies, bonds) embedded in extreme low risk statistical probability models with smooth equity curves and extensive risk management as well as extensive disaster risk allow for my natural capacity for risk-taking.

  The S&P 500 sold off on Friday after news about the new Covid variant. Today we will likely see a rebound but the short-term picture remains bearish. For in-depth technical analysis of various stocks and a recap of today's Stock Trading Alert we encourage you to watch   The S&P 500 index lost 2.27% on Friday, Nov. 26, as investors reacted to the news about new Covid variant detected in South Africa. The market broke below its recent local lows and it got away from the 4,700 level. The Friday’s trading action looked like a meaningful downward reversal. The nearest important support level is now at 4,550-4,580. On the other hand, the resistance level is at 4,650, marked by the recent local lows. The S&P 500 retraced most of its early November advance, as we can see on the daily chart (chart by courtesy of http://stockcharts.com): Nasdaq 100 Fell Closer to 16,000 Let’s take a look at the Nasdaq 100 chart. The technology index remained relatively stronger than the broad stock market on Friday, as it didn’t break below the early November local low. However, it got close to the 16,000 level and it retraced almost 800 points from its last Monday’s new record high of 16,764.85. The index closed above the 16,000 mark on Friday, as we can see on the daily chart: Apple Is At the Previous High Let’s take a look at biggest stock in the S&P 500 index: AAPL. Apple accelerated its uptrend a week ago on Monday and it reached the new record high of $165.70. However, it retraced almost all of its intraday advance that day. On Friday it got back to a potential support level of around $157. For now, it looks like a downward correction. Conclusion The S&P 500 index is expected to open 1.0% higher this morning, as global markets are shrugging off the new Covid fears. We will likely see an intraday consolidation following higher opening. The broad stock market index may enter a flat correction within a short-term downtrend. Here’s the breakdown: The S&P 500 traded within a short-term topping pattern last week and on Friday it suffered an over 2% sell-off. A speculative short position is still justified from the risk/reward perspective. We are expecting a 5% correction. Like what you’ve read? Subscribe for our daily newsletter today, and you'll get 7 days of FREE access to our premium daily Stock Trading Alerts as well as our other Alerts. Sign up for the free newsletter today! Thank you. Paul Rejczak,Stock Trading StrategistSunshine Profits: Effective Investments through Diligence and Care * * * * * The information above represents analyses and opinions of Paul Rejczak & Sunshine Profits' associates only. As such, it may prove wrong and be subject to change without notice. At the time of writing, we base our opinions and analyses on facts and data sourced from respective essays and their authors. Although formed on top of careful research and reputably accurate sources, Paul Rejczak and his associates cannot guarantee the reported data's accuracy and thoroughness. The opinions published above neither recommend nor offer any securities transaction. Mr. Rejczak is not a Registered Securities Advisor. By reading his reports you fully agree that he will not be held responsible or liable for any decisions you make regarding any information provided in these reports. Investing, trading and speculation in any financial markets may involve high risk of loss. Paul Rejczak, Sunshine Profits' employees, affiliates as well as their family members may have a short or long position in any securities, including those mentioned in any of the reports or essays, and may make additional purchases and/or sales of those securities without notice.

Oil bounced back on Monday morning, adding 4% for Brent and 4.5% for WTI after a more than 11% plunge on Friday. At the end of last week, the collapse was triggered by reports of a new covid variant. Reduced liquidity due to the holidays and shortened trading hours in the US increased the fluctuation amplitude. The liquidation of long positions brought Brent back to the level of the 200-day moving average, a critical support line for the uptrend. A consolidation below this level is usually seen as a signal of a long-term trend change. Oil's strong uptrend and staying above the 200-day moving average line has come into question on reports that the variant detected is resistant against existing vaccines. These fears subsided somewhat over the weekend, accounting for a pullback of a third from Friday's failure. Investors are now waiting for news and clarifications from virologists and politicians to finally decide whether the current price is attractive to buy or whether we could see an even bigger discount in the coming weeks. The technical analysis so far is on the side of the bulls. The oil price correction over the last month fits into traditional patterns if we consider the movement from November 2020 to October 2021 as one market impulse. The 200-day moving average has so far acted as support. Oil now looks less red-hot than at the end of October, having cleared the way for a new upward momentum and should return to multi-year highs by the end of this year.

  Stock prices were volatile on Tuesday, as the S&P 500 fell to the new local low. But today it may rebound again. but will the downtrend continue? For in-depth technical analysis of various stocks and a recap of today's Stock Trading Alert we encourage you to watch   The S&P 500 index lost 1.90% on Tuesday, Nov. 30. The market went lower following testimonies from the Fed Chair Powell and the Treasury Secretary Yellen. On Monday the broad stock market retraced more than a half of its Friday’s sell-off, but yesterday it fell to the new local low of 4,560.00. Today it is expected to open 1.0% higher again, so we will see more short-term volatility. The nearest important support level is at 4,560-4,600. On the other hand, the resistance level is at 4,650, marked by the recent local lows. The S&P 500 retraced most of its early November advance, as we can see on the daily chart (chart by courtesy of http://stockcharts.com): Nasdaq 100 Remains Relatively Stronger Let’s take a look at the Nasdaq 100 chart. The technology index remained relatively stronger than the broad stock market yesterday, as it didn’t extend a short-term downtrend. It remained above its Friday’s local low and above the 16,000 mark, as we can see on the daily chart: Apple Got Close to the Record High Again Let’s take a look at biggest stock in the S&P 500 index: AAPL. Apple accelerated its uptrend a week ago and it reached the new record high of $165.70. However, it retraced almost all of its intraday advance that day. On Friday it got back to a support level of around $157. And yesterday it got back to the all-time high, as it closed slightly above the $165 price level. Conclusion The S&P 500 index is expected to open 1.0% higher this morning following an overnight rebound from the yesterday’s new short-term low. We will likely see an intraday consolidation following a higher opening. And for now, it looks like a consolidation within a short-term downtrend. Here’s the breakdown: The S&P 500 extended its short-term downtrend yesterday, but today it is expected to open higher again. A speculative short position is still justified from the risk/reward perspective. We are expecting a 5% correction. Like what you’ve read? Subscribe for our daily newsletter today, and you'll get 7 days of FREE access to our premium daily Stock Trading Alerts as well as our other Alerts. Sign up for the free newsletter today! Thank you. Paul Rejczak,Stock Trading StrategistSunshine Profits: Effective Investments through Diligence and Care * * * * * The information above represents analyses and opinions of Paul Rejczak & Sunshine Profits' associates only. As such, it may prove wrong and be subject to change without notice. At the time of writing, we base our opinions and analyses on facts and data sourced from respective essays and their authors. Although formed on top of careful research and reputably accurate sources, Paul Rejczak and his associates cannot guarantee the reported data's accuracy and thoroughness. The opinions published above neither recommend nor offer any securities transaction. Mr. Rejczak is not a Registered Securities Advisor. By reading his reports you fully agree that he will not be held responsible or liable for any decisions you make regarding any information provided in these reports. Investing, trading and speculation in any financial markets may involve high risk of loss. Paul Rejczak, Sunshine Profits' employees, affiliates as well as their family members may have a short or long position in any securities, including those mentioned in any of the reports or essays, and may make additional purchases and/or sales of those securities without notice.

The most obvious first step is: “How much?” Depending on your time horizon and if your approach is purely diversification for your overall portfolio, a percentage of total investment capital needs to be set. This percentage should be higher on a more aggressive wealth preservation strategy and higher expected returns on beating inflation. Another aspect is if silver is traded as the only hedge or alongside other precious metals. Silver already has a leverage factor in relationship to gold. For example, gold’s response to covid was a 37% up move, while silver moved up 80%. This volatility leverage works both ways, increasing the risk for silver if not purchased on low-risk entry points and traded with appropriate money management. We have pointed out various reasons why we find silver an extremely attractive play long term in this year’s chart book releases. Monthly chart (a week ago), Silver in US-Dollar, ready: Silver in US-Dollar, monthly chart as of November 26th, 2021. The above chart was posted in our last week’s publication. We wrote:” The monthly chart shows a high likelihood for November’s candle closing as an inverted hammer. Consequently, it provides for silver prices approaching the low end of the last 17-month sideways range near US$22.” Monthly chart, Silver in US-Dollar, set: Silver in US-Dollar, monthly chart as of December 3rd, 2021. We were spot on. The anticipated entry zone has been reached. We added to our physical holdings and shared the trade live in our free Telegram channel. Silver in US-Dollar, weekly chart, silver: Silver in US-Dollar, weekly chart as of December 3rd, 2021. We asked, “how much?” and in what diversification, which leaves us with the question of what denomination. The rule of thumb is that the smaller the weight amount is and the more recognizable the brand, the higher the cost. In addition, valuable numismatic collector’s coins have premiums as well. Generally, we find the added cost of brand items (Canadian maple leaf, American eagles, Austrian Philharmonic, and alike) to be of value since it adds to liquidity at a time of sale. While we would stay away from the added cost of numismatic collectible coins, we find there to be value to have a mix of coins and larger bars to arrive at a reasonably low-cost basis with a high degree of liquidity at the time of sale (larger bars are harder to sell than one-ounce coins). The weekly chart above illustrates that as much as we have entered the “shopping zone” for silver, there is a probability that we might see a quick spike down as we have seen at the end of September. As pointed out in the previous chart book, the goal of physical acquisition should not be the ultimate lowest price but availability and execution itself. We make a point of this, especially since we noticed that physical acquisition prices have in percentage retraced much less than the spot price right here, and once the turn is complete, could proportionally faster jolt up. Silver in US-Dollar, quarterly chart, go: Silver in US-Dollar, quarterly chart as of December 3rd, 2021. It is essential to have an exit strategy in place before entry. These exit projections are necessary to measure risk/reward-ratios. Moreover, with the entire plan clear, there will be no debate while in the trade. This part of exit psychology is often overlooked, but a low-risk entry point alone does not provide a good strategy. We expect a price advance on silver within the next six to eight quarters to a price target of US$74.40! Significant profits allowing for an outstanding risk/reward-ratio. Ready, set, silver, go: Last week, we anticipated the market’s direction correctly and find ourselves now at the desired low-risk entry zone. With possible additional questions about physical acquisition answered today, we might have reduced doubt. The devil is in the details, and due to the various countries, their taxation law, and the wide variety of official precious metal dealers, we did not dive into the details on where to take possession of your possibly desired purchase.  Nevertheless, our multinational membership in our free Telegram channel might provide helpful information to your specific situation. We hope we have provided enough knowledge to erase doubt. We encourage participation since we see procrastination towards a wealth preservation strategy as the poorest choice in this challenging time for your hard-earned money. Feel free to join us in our free Telegram channel for daily real time data and a great community. If you like to get regular updates on our gold model, precious metals and cryptocurrencies you can also subscribe to our free newsletter. This article does not contain investment advice or recommendations. Every investment and trading move involves risk, and readers should conduct their own research when making a decision. The views, thoughts and opinions expressed here are the author’s alone. They do not necessarily reflect or represent the views and opinions of Midas Touch Consulting. By Korbinian Koller|December 3rd, 2021|Tags: Crack-Up-Boom, Gold, Gold/Silver-Ratio, inflation, low risk, Silver, silver bull, Silver Chartbook, silversqueeze, technical analysis, time frame, trading principles|0 Comments About the Author: Korbinian Koller Outstanding abstract reasoning ability and ability to think creatively and originally has led over the last 25 years to extract new principles and a unique way to view the markets resulting in a multitude of various time frame systems, generating high hit rates and outstanding risk reward ratios. Over 20 years of coaching traders with heart & passion, assessing complex situations, troubleshoot and solve problems principle based has led to experience and a professional history of success. Skilled natural teacher and exceptional developer of talent. Avid learner guided by a plan with ability to suppress ego and empower students to share ideas and best practices and to apply principle-based technical/conceptual knowledge to maximize efficiency. 25+ year execution experience (50.000+ trades executed) Trading multiple personal accounts (long and short-and combinations of the two). Amazing market feel complementing mechanical systems discipline for precise and extreme low risk entries while objectively seeing the whole picture. Ability to notice and separate emotional responses from the decision-making process and to stand outside oneself and one’s concerns about images in order to function in terms of larger objectives. Developed exit strategies that compensate both for maximizing profits and psychological ease to allow for continuous flow throughout the whole trading day. In depth knowledge of money management strategies with the experience of multiple 6 sigma events in various markets (futures, stocks, commodities, currencies, bonds) embedded in extreme low risk statistical probability models with smooth equity curves and extensive risk management as well as extensive disaster risk allow for my natural capacity for risk-taking.

  The S&P 500 bounced from the 4,500 level on Thursday, as it retraced most of its Wednesday’s sell-off. Was it a reversal or just another upward correction? For in-depth technical analysis of various stocks and a recap of today's Stock Trading Alert we encourage you to watch   The broad stock market index gained 1.42% on Thursday after opening slightly lower and bouncing from the new local low of 4,504.73. The index fell the lowest since the October 19 and it went below its early September local high of around 4,546. Overall, it lost 5.04% from the Nov. 22 record high of 4,743.83. But Thursday’s trading session was bullish and stocks were gaining. Was it an upward reversal? This morning stocks are expected to open 0.3% higher after the mixed monthly jobs data release. For now, it looks like a correction within a downtrend. We may see a short-term consolidation following the recent declines. The nearest important support level is now at 4,500. On the other hand, the resistance level is at 4,580-4,600, marked by the recent local lows. The S&P 500 remains below its short-term downward trend line, as we can see on the daily chart (chart by courtesy of http://stockcharts.com): Nasdaq 100 Remains Close to the 16,000 Level Let’s take a look at the Nasdaq 100 chart. The technology index remains relatively stronger than the broad stock market, as it is still trading above the early September local highs of around 15,700. However, the technology index gained just 0.7% yesterday, as we can see on the daily chart: Apple Remains Volatile After Reaching New Record High Let’s take a look at biggest stock in the S&P 500 index: AAPL. Apple accelerated its uptrend once again and on Wednesday it reached the new record high of $170.30. Apple’s market cap reached almost 2.8 trillion dollars! But on Thursday, the stock was 7.3% below its Wednesday’s high, before bouncing back above the $160 level. So the stock priceremains very volatile and we may see a medium-term topping pattern. Conclusion The S&P 500 index is expected to open 0.3% higher this morning after the mixed monthly jobs data release. We may see a consolidation and some more volatility following the recent declines. There have been no confirmed positive signals so far. Here’s the breakdown: The S&P 500 slightly extended its short-term downtrend yesterday before bouncing from the 4,500 level. A speculative short position is still justified from the risk/reward perspective. We are expecting an over 5% correction. Like what you’ve read? Subscribe for our daily newsletter today, and you'll get 7 days of FREE access to our premium daily Stock Trading Alerts as well as our other Alerts. Sign up for the free newsletter today! Thank you. Paul Rejczak,Stock Trading StrategistSunshine Profits: Effective Investments through Diligence and Care * * * * * The information above represents analyses and opinions of Paul Rejczak & Sunshine Profits' associates only. As such, it may prove wrong and be subject to change without notice. At the time of writing, we base our opinions and analyses on facts and data sourced from respective essays and their authors. Although formed on top of careful research and reputably accurate sources, Paul Rejczak and his associates cannot guarantee the reported data's accuracy and thoroughness. The opinions published above neither recommend nor offer any securities transaction. Mr. Rejczak is not a Registered Securities Advisor. By reading his reports you fully agree that he will not be held responsible or liable for any decisions you make regarding any information provided in these reports. Investing, trading and speculation in any financial markets may involve high risk of loss. Paul Rejczak, Sunshine Profits' employees, affiliates as well as their family members may have a short or long position in any securities, including those mentioned in any of the reports or essays, and may make additional purchases and/or sales of those securities without notice.

  The S&P 500 index broke slightly below the 4,500 mark on Friday, but it bounced from that support level again. Is this a bottoming pattern? For in-depth technical analysis of various stocks and a recap of today's Stock Trading Alert we encourage you to watch   The broad stock market index lost 0.84% on Friday following Thursday’s advance of 1.4%. On Friday the index fell the lowest since the October 19 and it went below its early September local high of around 4,546 again. Overall, it lost 5.24% from the Nov. 22 record high of 4,743.83. Stocks fluctuate since last week’s Wednesday, so is this a bottoming pattern? For now, it looks like a flat correction or a consolidation within a downtrend. This morning the broad stock market is expected to open 0.4% higher and we may see some more short-term consolidation following the recent declines. The nearest important support level is still at 4,500. On the other hand, the resistance level is at 4,580-4,600, marked by the recent local lows. The S&P 500 remains below its short-term downward trend line, as we can see on the daily chart (chart by courtesy of http://stockcharts.com): Nasdaq 100 Broke Below the 16,000 Level Let’s take a look at the Nasdaq 100 chart. The technology index remained relatively stronger than the broad stock market recently but on Friday it broke below the support level of 16,000 and it was relatively weaker than the S&P 500 index that day. The tech stocks’ gauge fell below the early September local highs, as we can see on the daily chart: Conclusion The S&P 500 index slightly extended its downtrend on Friday and it was 5.24% below the November 22 record high. So it is still just a downward correction and not a new bear market. But we may see some more downside. For now, it looks like a consolidation within a downtrend, as there have been no confirmed positive signals so far. Here’s the breakdown: The S&P 500 slightly extended its short-term downtrend on Friday. A speculative short position is still justified from the risk/reward perspective. We are expecting an over 5% correction. Like what you’ve read? Subscribe for our daily newsletter today, and you'll get 7 days of FREE access to our premium daily Stock Trading Alerts as well as our other Alerts. Sign up for the free newsletter today! Thank you. Paul Rejczak,Stock Trading StrategistSunshine Profits: Effective Investments through Diligence and Care * * * * * The information above represents analyses and opinions of Paul Rejczak & Sunshine Profits' associates only. As such, it may prove wrong and be subject to change without notice. At the time of writing, we base our opinions and analyses on facts and data sourced from respective essays and their authors. Although formed on top of careful research and reputably accurate sources, Paul Rejczak and his associates cannot guarantee the reported data's accuracy and thoroughness. The opinions published above neither recommend nor offer any securities transaction. Mr. Rejczak is not a Registered Securities Advisor. By reading his reports you fully agree that he will not be held responsible or liable for any decisions you make regarding any information provided in these reports. Investing, trading and speculation in any financial markets may involve high risk of loss. Paul Rejczak, Sunshine Profits' employees, affiliates as well as their family members may have a short or long position in any securities, including those mentioned in any of the reports or essays, and may make additional purchases and/or sales of those securities without notice.

Like a whale diving deep to gorge on krill to emerge even more empowered shortly after. When catching these cycles right, bitcoin is ever rewarding. BTC in US-Dollar, Monthly Chart, up and up and up: Bitcoin in US-Dollar, monthly chart as of December 7th, 2021. Typically, fortunes are slowly acquired and quickly destroyed, not so with bitcoin. Bitcoin’s up moves can be as dramatic as their declines. In addition, bitcoin seems bulletproof to fundamental attacks. With China’s ban on mining, its share of the global hash rate sank from 75% held in September 2019 to zero by now. Miners migrated to the US and had its 2019 4% hash rate rise to 35%. It is essential to remind oneself of facts like these, when emotions overcome one with doubt and confidence falters at these steep declines in bitcoin. At times when opportunity knocks and self-confidence is critical for accurate trade execution. The monthly chart above shows the roller coaster moves that can make even the stern trader doubtful, yet bitcoin rose closer to the sun after each cloud. We find six figure bitcoin prices to be likely within the next few months, as indicated in the very right green up arrow in the chart. Gold in Bitcoin, Daily Chart, measuring true value: Gold in Bitcoin, daily chart as of December 7th, 2021. Where we see bitcoin going from strength to strength, as well, is the relatively rare occurrence of fiat currencies being endangered by inflation to the level that we are right now. Fortunes can change hands quickly. Typically, procrastination is fueled by the belief of a rise in the cost of things. In reality, currency is less valuable. We, as such, encourage you not to measure everything in your country’s currency. We find measurements towards a gold price or a bitcoin price a more realistic view of price/value changes. The chart above shows how the relationship between gold and the bitcoin price changed over the short term, with bitcoins’ recent sharp decline.   BTC in US-Dollar, Weekly Chart, in the not to distant future: Bitcoin in US-Dollar, weekly chart as of December 7th, 2021. A six-sigma event risk in the overall market environment is always present. Such a market crash would temporarily drag bitcoin to lower prices and needs to be reflected in your money management. Other than that, we see prices right here as a good starting zone for the next push-up which should exceed all-time highs in the not-too-distant future, as portrayed in the above chart. Bitcoin, going from strength to strength: No matter what we tell ourselves, when prices decline, we feel fearful. It is always hard to step into such selling pressure for a low-risk entry spot based on the action/ reaction principle to be part of the next cycle up.  Moreover, practice and planning are required to be part of these upswings and to ride the wave. Our quad strategy aims to reduce initial risk quickly after an entry has been made. Last Friday’s entries near the lows of the day allowed for a more than ten percent profit-taking on half of the position size, a target we call “financing.” Unheard of in any other liquid, low-risk market. Feel free to join us in our free Telegram channel for daily real time data and a great community. If you like to get regular updates on our gold model, precious metals and cryptocurrencies you can subscribe to our free newsletter. This article does not contain investment advice or recommendations. Every investment and trading move involves risk, and readers should conduct their own research when making a decision. The views, thoughts and opinions expressed here are the author’s alone. They do not necessarily reflect or represent the views and opinions of Midas Touch Consulting. By Korbinian Koller|December 7th, 2021|Tags: Bitcoin, Bitcoin bounce, Bitcoin bullish, bitcoin consolidation, crypto analysis, Crypto Bull, crypto chartbook, DeFi, low risk, quad exit, technical analysis, trading education|0 Comments About the Author: Korbinian Koller Outstanding abstract reasoning ability and ability to think creatively and originally has led over the last 25 years to extract new principles and a unique way to view the markets resulting in a multitude of various time frame systems, generating high hit rates and outstanding risk reward ratios. Over 20 years of coaching traders with heart & passion, assessing complex situations, troubleshoot and solve problems principle based has led to experience and a professional history of success. Skilled natural teacher and exceptional developer of talent. Avid learner guided by a plan with ability to suppress ego and empower students to share ideas and best practices and to apply principle-based technical/conceptual knowledge to maximize efficiency. 25+ year execution experience (50.000+ trades executed) Trading multiple personal accounts (long and short-and combinations of the two). Amazing market feel complementing mechanical systems discipline for precise and extreme low risk entries while objectively seeing the whole picture. Ability to notice and separate emotional responses from the decision-making process and to stand outside oneself and one’s concerns about images in order to function in terms of larger objectives. Developed exit strategies that compensate both for maximizing profits and psychological ease to allow for continuous flow throughout the whole trading day. In depth knowledge of money management strategies with the experience of multiple 6 sigma events in various markets (futures, stocks, commodities, currencies, bonds) embedded in extreme low risk statistical probability models with smooth equity curves and extensive risk management as well as extensive disaster risk allow for my natural capacity for risk-taking.

  Stocks retraced some of their recent rally yesterday – was it just a quick downward correction before another leg up? For in-depth technical analysis of various stocks and a recap of today's Stock Trading Alert we encourage you to watch today's video. today's video." frameborder="0" allowfullscreen> The nearest important resistance level remains at 4,700-4,750, marked by the record high, among others. On the other hand, the support level is at around 4,610-4,630, marked by Tuesday’s daily gap up of 4,612.60-4,631.97. The S&P 500 is at its previous consolidation, as we can see on the daily chart (chart by courtesy of http://stockcharts.com): Nasdaq 100 Bounced From the 16,400 Level Let’s take a look at the Nasdaq 100 chart. The technology index got back to the 16,400 level on Wednesday and yesterday it retraced some of its recent advance, just like the broad stock market. However, tech stocks are relatively weaker, as the Nasdaq 100 is still well below the Nov. 22 record high of 16,764.85. Conclusion The S&P 500 index will likely retrace its yesterday’s decline this morning. So the broad stock market may extend a short-term consolidation following the recent rally. There have been no confirmed short-term negative signals so far and we may see an attempt at breaking above the 4,700 level following neutral CPI data release. Here’s the breakdown: The S&P 500 is expected to open higher this morning and we may see a consolidation along the 4,700 level. We are still maintaining our short position from the 4,678 level. Like what you’ve read? Subscribe for our daily newsletter today, and you'll get 7 days of FREE access to our premium daily Stock Trading Alerts as well as our other Alerts. Sign up for the free newsletter today! Thank you. Paul Rejczak,Stock Trading StrategistSunshine Profits: Effective Investments through Diligence and Care * * * * * The information above represents analyses and opinions of Paul Rejczak & Sunshine Profits' associates only. As such, it may prove wrong and be subject to change without notice. At the time of writing, we base our opinions and analyses on facts and data sourced from respective essays and their authors. Although formed on top of careful research and reputably accurate sources, Paul Rejczak and his associates cannot guarantee the reported data's accuracy and thoroughness. The opinions published above neither recommend nor offer any securities transaction. Mr. Rejczak is not a Registered Securities Advisor. By reading his reports you fully agree that he will not be held responsible or liable for any decisions you make regarding any information provided in these reports. Investing, trading and speculation in any financial markets may involve high risk of loss. Paul Rejczak, Sunshine Profits' employees, affiliates as well as their family members may have a short or long position in any securities, including those mentioned in any of the reports or essays, and may make additional purchases and/or sales of those securities without notice.

So, what are the facts: Monthly chart, Silver in US-Dollar, probabilities: Silver in US-Dollar, monthly chart as of December 10th, 2021. In 2020, silver broke a multiyear sideways range and moved strongly up. It has now consolidated for over a year in a sideways range again. This is a bullish setup! As much as emotions might be weary, from a probability perspective, a general rule is that the longer a congestion is from a time perspective, the more significant will be the subsequent breakout from that range. Statistical probabilities are also clearly pointing to the upside rather than returning into the prior range. Not to forget, buying near the lows of such a range box guarantees the lowest entry risk and highest risk/reward-ratio play to be taken for the long side, even if emotions might tell you otherwise. 2021 silver trades performance: 2021 silver trades performance. Another fact is that one does not need to know when and if a breakout is happening to extract money from the markets consistently. The above chart is this year’s silver trades that we posted in real-time in our free Telegram channel. The systematic approach focuses on low-risk entry points with a risk reduction method through our quad exit strategy. Sideways markets provide an income-producing aspect of one’s trading, and a possible breakout of a range would give a significant bonus. An approach like this keeps emotions in check since one’s labor gets rewarded and allows for significantly higher rewards once ranges do break. Silver in US-Dollar, quarterly chart, silver is moving up: Silver in US-Dollar, quarterly chart as of December 10th, 2021. In short, while waiting is strenuous, and one might feel doubtful, from a probability perspective, silver is an even likelier success story now than it has been six months or a year ago. What should also not be underestimated is the fundamental situation of this wealth preservation play. The extensions of governments playing the inflation game to such length are like adding fuel to the silver play. Widespread problems that are the pillars to this insurance play have, if anything, increased. Consequently, supporting a good likelihood that silver prices go up. When? Well, that is hard to say since no one knows the future, but maybe this question gets proportionally in weight too much attention since insurance isn’t just bought for the next storm to come but in principle acquired to make one feel good and to protect one’s wealth long term. The quarterly chart above shows how silvers inherent volatility can sustain, in times of market turmoil, extended phases of extreme standard deviation levels. Price moves far away from the mean (red line). We are trading near the mean as of now, and the very right green line is a projection of a possible price move up.   S&P 500 in US-Dollar, quarterly chart, Quod erat demonstrandum: S&P 500 in US-Dollar, quarterly chart as of December 10th, 2021. Still, some doubt left? Have a look at the above S&P500 chart, representing the broad market. Does that look like a healthy chart? Baby boomers and general stock-market participants might be in for a rude awakening once they realize how little their fiat currency is still worth when they cash in those stock portfolio investments. Just compare your total living cost from 2020 with 2021. All positions from food to health insurance, from car gas to electricity bills. Calculate the percentage difference from those two numbers and add this percentage to the average acquisition cost of your physical silver, and you have the real value of your silver already now. How does homelessness double to a half million people per day sleeping roofless factor in? Does this chart represent great times when we face supply chain disruptions? Or is it all smoke and mirrors, and once the music stops, there will be countless chairs missing for everyone to sit down? Silver is moving up: The essential principle in play is that markets are counterintuitive. Meaning your feelings might have switched from enthusiasm to uncertainty, even frustration, but probability facts are in direct opposition to one’s feelings. This principle is the underlying reason why moves out of extended congestion zones can result in substantial moves. Once emotionally weak hands are washed out, these breakouts come from an emotional perspective surprising. Bears step aside and bulls chase prices. Feel free to join us in our free Telegram channel for daily real time data and a great community. If you like to get regular updates on our gold model, precious metals and cryptocurrencies you can also subscribe to our free newsletter. This article does not contain investment advice or recommendations. Every investment and trading move involves risk, and readers should conduct their own research when making a decision. The views, thoughts and opinions expressed here are the author’s alone. They do not necessarily reflect or represent the views and opinions of Midas Touch Consulting.

  The S&P 500 index got back above the 4,700 level on Friday after gaining almost 1%. The only way is up now? For in-depth technical analysis of various stocks and a recap of today's Stock Trading Alert we encourage you to watch today's video. Nasdaq 100 Remains Close to the 16,400 Level Let’s take a look at the Nasdaq 100 chart. The technology index got back to the 16,400 level last week. It is the nearest important resistance level, marked by some previous local highs. Tech stocks remain relatively weaker, as the Nasdaq 100 is still well below the Nov. 22 record high of 16,764.85. Conclusion The S&P 500 index will likely slightly extend its last week’s advances this morning. However we may see a short-term profit-taking action at some point. There have been no confirmed short-term negative signals so far, and we may see an attempt at getting back to the late November record high. Here’s the breakdown: The S&P 500 is expected to open slightly higher this morning but we may see a consolidation above the 4,700 level. Our short-position is very close a stop-loss level, and we’ll close it if it breaks above it again. Like what you’ve read? Subscribe for our daily newsletter today, and you'll get 7 days of FREE access to our premium daily Stock Trading Alerts as well as our other Alerts. Sign up for the free newsletter today! Thank you. Paul Rejczak,Stock Trading StrategistSunshine Profits: Effective Investments through Diligence and Care * * * * * The information above represents analyses and opinions of Paul Rejczak & Sunshine Profits' associates only. As such, it may prove wrong and be subject to change without notice. At the time of writing, we base our opinions and analyses on facts and data sourced from respective essays and their authors. Although formed on top of careful research and reputably accurate sources, Paul Rejczak and his associates cannot guarantee the reported data's accuracy and thoroughness. The opinions published above neither recommend nor offer any securities transaction. Mr. Rejczak is not a Registered Securities Advisor. By reading his reports you fully agree that he will not be held responsible or liable for any decisions you make regarding any information provided in these reports. Investing, trading and speculation in any financial markets may involve high risk of loss. Paul Rejczak, Sunshine Profits' employees, affiliates as well as their family members may have a short or long position in any securities, including those mentioned in any of the reports or essays, and may make additional purchases and/or sales of those securities without notice.

https://www.midastouch-consulting.com/13122021-gold-recovery-ahead December 13th, 2021: The gold market is nearing the end of a difficult and very challenging year. Most precious metal investors must have been severely disappointed. Gold – Recovery ahead. Review 2021 started quite bullish, as the gold price climbed rapidly towards US$1,960 at the beginning of the year. In retrospect, however, this peak on January 6th also represented the high for the year! In the following 11.5 months, gold did not even come close to reaching these prices again. Instead, prices came under considerable pressure and only bottomed out at the beginning and then again at the end of March around US$1,680 with a double low. Interestingly, the low on March 8th at US$1,676 did hold until today. The subsequent recovery brought gold prices back above the round mark of US$1,900 within two months. But already on June 1st, another violent wave of selling started, which pushed gold prices down by US$150 within just four weeks. Subsequently, gold bulls attempted a major recovery in the seasonally favorable early summer phase. However, they failed three times in this endeavor at the strong resistance zone around US$1,830 to US$1,835. As a result, sufficient bearish pressure had built up again, which was then unleashed in the flash crash on August 9th with a brutal sell-off within a few minutes and a renewed test of the US$1,677 mark. Despite this complete washout, gold bulls were only able to recover from this shock with difficulty. Hence, gold traded sideways mainly between US$1,760 and US$1,815 for the following three months. It was not until the beginning of November that prices quickly broke out of this tenacious sideways phase and thus also broke above the 15-month downtrend-line. This was quickly followed by another rise towards US$1,877. However, and this is quite indicative of the ongoing corrective cycle since the all-time high in August 2020, gold prices made another hard U-turn within a few days and sold off even faster than they had risen before. Since this last sell-off from US$1,877 down to US$1,762, gold has been stuck and kind of paralyzed for three weeks, primarily trading in a narrow range between US$1,775 and US$1,785. Obviously, the market seems to be waiting for the upcoming FOMC meeting. Overall, gold has not been able to do much in 2021. Most of the time it has gone sideways and did everything to confuse participants. These treacherous market phases are the very most dangerous ones. Physical investors can easily sit through such a sideways shuffling. But leveraged traders had nothing to laugh about. Either the movements in gold changed quickly and abruptly or almost nothing happened for days and sometimes even weeks while the trading ranges were shrinking. Technical Analysis: Gold in US-Dollar Weekly Chart – Bottoming out around US$1,780? Gold in US-Dollars, weekly chart as of December 13th, 2021. Source: Tradingview Despite the 15-month correction, gold has been able to easily hold above the uptrend channel, which goes back to December 2015. The steeper uptrend channel that began in the summer of 2018 is also still intact and would only be broken if prices would fall below US$1,700. Support between US$1,760 and US$1,780 has held over the last three weeks too. The weekly stochastic oscillator is currently neutral but has been slowly tightening for months. Overall, gold is currently trading right in the middle of its two Bollinger bands on the weekly chart. Thus, the setup is neutral. However, bottoming out around US$1,780 has a slightly increased probability. Daily Chart – New buying signal Gold in US-Dollars, daily chart as of December 13th, 2021. Source: Tradingview On the daily chart, gold has been searching for support around its slightly rising 200-day moving average (US$1,793) over the last three weeks. However, eye contact has been maintained, hence a recapturing of this important moving average is still quite possible. Despite the failed breakout in November, the current price action has not moved away from the downtrend-line. A further attack on this resistance thus appears likely. Encouragingly, the daily stochastic has turned up from its oversold zone and provides a new buy signal. In summary, the chances of a renewed recovery starting in the near future predominate on the daily chart. In the first step, such a bounce could run to around US$1,815. Secondly, the bulls would then have to clear the downtrend-line, which would release further upward potential towards US$1,830 and US$1,870. The very best case scenario might see gold being able to rise to the psychological number of US$1,900 in the next two to four months. On the downside however, the support between US$1,760 and US$1,780 must be held at all costs. Otherwise, the threat of further downward pressure towards US$1,720 and US$1,680 intensifies. Commitments of Traders for Gold – Recovery ahead Commitments of Traders for Gold as of December 12th, 2021. Source: Sentimentrader The commercial net short position in the gold futures market was last reported at 245,623 contracts sold short. Although the setup has somewhat improved due to the significant price decline in recent weeks, the overall constellation continues to move in neutral waters. There is still no clear contrarian bottleneck in the futures market, where professional traders should have reduced their net short positions to below 100,000 contracts at least. Until then, it would still be a long way from current levels, which could probably only happen with a price drop towards US$1,625. As long as this does not happen, any larger move up will probably have a hard time. In summary, the CoT report provides a neutral signal and thus stands in the way of a sustainable new uptrend. However, given the current futures market data, temporary recoveries over a period of about one to three months are currently possible. Sentiment for Gold – Recovery ahead Sentiment Optix for Gold as of December 12th, 2021. Source: Sentimentrader Sentiment for gold has been meandering in the neutral and not very meaningful middle zone for more than a year. Furthermore, a complete capitulation or at least very high pessimism levels are still missing to end the ongoing correction. Such a high pessimism was last seen in spring of 2019, whereupon gold was able to rise more than US$800 from the lows at US$1,265 to US$2,075 within 15 months. This means that in the big picture, sentiment analysis continues to lack total capitulation. This can only be achieved with deeply fallen prices. In the short term, however, the Optix for gold has almost reached its lows for the year. At the same time, german mainstream press is currently asking, appropriately enough, “Why doesn’t gold protect against inflation? This gives us a short-term contrarian buy signal, which should enable a recovery rally over coming one to three months. Seasonality for Gold – Recovery ahead Seasonality for Gold over the last 53-years as of December 12th, 2021. Source: Sentimentrader As so often in recent years, precious metal investors are being put to the test in the fourth quarter of 2021. In the past, however, there was almost always a final sell-off around the last FOMC meeting between mid-November and mid-December. And this was always followed by an important low and a trend reversal. This year, everything points to December 15th or 16th. Following the FOMC interest rate decision and the FOMC press conference, the start of a recovery would be extremely typical. Statistically, gold prices usually finish the last two weeks of the year with higher prices, because trading volume in the west world is very low over the holidays, while in Asia, and especially in China and India, trading is more or less normal. Also, the “tax loss selling” in mining stocks should be over by now. Overall, the seasonal component turns “very bullish” in a few days, supporting precious metal prices from mid-December onwards. Typically, January in particular is a very positive month for gold, but the favorable seasonal period lasts until the end of February. Macro update and Crack-up-Boom: US-Inflation as of November 30th, 2021. ©Holger Zschaepitz Last Friday, inflation in the U.S. was reported to have risen to 6.8% for the month of November. This is the fastest price increase since 1982, when Ronald Reagan was US president, and the US stock markets had started a new bull market after a 16-year consolidation phase. Today, by contrast, the financial markets have been on the central banks’ drip for more than a decade, if not more than two. The dependence is enormous and a turn away from the money glut is unthinkable. Nevertheless, the vast majority of market participants still allow themselves to be bluffed by the Fed and the other central banks and blindly believe the fairy tales of these clowns. The Global US-Dollar Short Squeeze However, while inflation figures worldwide are going through the roof due to the gigantic expansion of the money supply and the supply bottlenecks, the US-Dollar continues to rise at the same time. A nasty US-Dollar short squeeze has been building up since early summer. The mechanism behind this is not easy to understand and gold bugs in particular often have a hard time with it. From a global perspective, the US-Dollar is still the most important reserve currency and thus also the most important international medium of exchange as well as the most important store of value for almost all major countries. Completely independently of this, many of these countries still use their own currency domestically. International oil trade and numerous other commodities are also invoiced and settled in US-Dollar. For example, when France buys oil from Saudi Arabia, it does not pay in its own currency, EUR, but in USD. Through this mechanism, there has been a solid demand for US-Dollar practically non-stop for decades. The US-Dollar system The big risk of this “US-Dollar system”, however, is that many foreign governments and companies borrow in US-Dollar, even though most of their revenue is generated in the respective national currency. The lenders of these US-Dollar are often not even US institutions. Foreign lenders also often lend to foreign borrowers in dollars. This creates a currency risk for the borrower, a mismatch between the currency of their income and the currency of their debt. Borrowers do this because they have to pay lower interest rates for a loan in US-Dollar than in their own national currency. Sometimes dollar-denominated bonds and loans are also the only way to get liquidity at all. Thus, it is not the lender who bears the currency risk, but the borrower. In this way, the borrower is basically taking a short position against the US-Dollar, whether he wants to or not. Now, if the dollar strengthens, this becomes a disadvantage for him, because his debt increases in relation to his income in the local currency. If, on the other hand, the US-Dollar weakens, the borrower is partially relieved of debt because his debt falls in relation to his income in the local currency. Turkish lira since December 2020 as of December 13th, 2021.©Holger Zschaepitz Looking, for example, at the dramatic fall of the Turkish lira, one can well imagine the escalating flight from emerging market currencies into the US-Dollar. Since the beginning of the year, Turks have lost almost 50% of their purchasing power against the US-Dollar. A true nightmare. Other emerging market currencies such as the Argentine peso, the Thai baht or even the Hungarian forint have also come under significant pressure this year. On top, the Evergrande bankruptcy and the collapse of the real estate bubble in China may also have contributed significantly to this smoldering wildfire. All in all, the “US-Dollar short squeeze” may well continue despite a technically heavily overbought situation. Sooner or later, however, the Federal Reserve will have to react and row back again. Otherwise, the strength of the US-Dollar will suddenly threaten a deflationary implosion in worldwide stock markets and in the entire financial system. The global house of cards would not survive such shock waves. The tapering is “nearish” It is therefore highly likely that the Fed will soon postpone the so-called “tapering” and the “interest rate hikes” until further notice. To explain this, they will surely come up with some gibberish with complicated-sounding words. All in all, an end to loose monetary policy is completely unthinkable. Likewise, the supply bottlenecks will remain for the time being. This means that inflation will continue to be fueled by both monetary and scarcity factors and, on top of that, by the psychological inflationary spiral. In these crazy times, investors in all sectors will have to patiently endure temporary volatility and the accompanying sharp pullbacks. Conclusion: Gold – Recovery ahead With gold and silver, you can protect yourself well against any scenario. In the medium and long term, however, this does not necessarily mean that precious metal prices will always track inflation one-to-one and go through the roof in the coming years. Most likely, the exponential expansion of the money supply will continue and accelerate. Hence, significantly higher gold and silver prices can then be expected. If, on the other hand, the system should implode, gold and silver will be able to play out their monetary function to the fullest and one will be glad to own them when almost everything else must be written down to zero. In the bigger picture, however, gold and silver fans will have to remain patient for the time being, because the clear end of the months-long correction has not yet been sealed. Rather, the most important cycle in the gold market should deliver an important low approximately every 8 years. The last time this happened was in December 2015 at US$1,045. This means that the correction in the gold market could continue over the next one or even two years until the trend reverses and the secular bull market finally continues. In the short term, however, the chances of a recovery in the coming weeks into the new year and possibly even into spring are quite good. But it should only gradually become clearer after the Fed’s interest rate decision on Wednesday what will happen next. A rally towards US$1,815 and US$1,830 has a clearly increased probability. Beyond that, US$1,870 and in the best case even US$1,910 could possibly be reached in February or March. For this to happen, however, the bulls would have to do a lot of work. Analysis initially written and published on on December 13th, 2021, by www.celticgold.eu. Translated into English and partially updated on December 13th, 2021. Feel free to join us in our free Telegram channel for daily real time data and a great community. If you like to get regular updates on our gold model, precious metals and cryptocurrencies you can subscribe to our free newsletter. By Florian Grummes|December 13th, 2021|Tags: Gold, Gold Analysis, Gold bullish, Gold Cot-Report, gold fundamentals, gold mining, Gold neutral, Silver, The bottom is in|0 Comments About the Author: Florian Grummes Florian Grummes is an independent financial analyst, advisor, consultant, trader & investor as well as an international speaker with more than 20 years of experience in financial markets. He is specialized in precious metals, cryptocurrencies and technical analysis. He is publishing weekly gold, silver & cryptocurrency analysis for his numerous international readers. He is also running a large telegram Channel and a Crypto Signal Service. Florian is well known for combining technical, fundamental and sentiment analysis into one accurate conclusion about the markets.

With more than a trillion-dollar market cap, bitcoin is now in an echelon where regulation would be fearful to intervene harshly, since a bitcoin crash would affect other markets. In a way, the last pillar is cemented for there to be little risk to think of a world without bitcoin. That being said, even if only minor, some bitcoin exposure is now widely accepted as a wise decision of portfolio management. We share three ways of purchase that we find conservative. We aim to demystify the saga of bitcoins acquisition risk due to its volatility. BTC in US-Dollar, Quarterly Chart, zooming out, away from the noise: Bitcoin in US-Dollar, quarterly chart as of December 14th, 2021. Risk is related to size. Suppose you buy a small enough amount alongside your overall market exposure, small enough that you can afford assets even to go to zero, then the risk is minimized. Would it be nice to have picked up a few thousand bitcoins when it was available at five dollars or a few hundred at fifty, certainly! Nevertheless, thinking long term and with volatility now being much less, the more bitcoin had settled in and is more widely accepted, even buying here now at US$47,000 is just fine. What we find less attractive is not owning any. And after that initial purchase, to add at price dips in bitcoin to grow a position size over time would be a possible extension of such a strategy. The quarterly chart above shows how bitcoin has always reached new all-time highs again, and there is no fundamental or technical evidence that this behavior should change. BTC in US-Dollar, Weekly Chart, buy low and hold: Bitcoin in US-Dollar, weekly chart as of December 14th, 2021. Another way to participate in the bitcoin market if you already have some exposure is buying in tiny increments when markets seem low. This means buying after one of bitcoin’s steep declines and add this way to your long-term exposure. The weekly chart above shows with a green box an approximated entry zone. We used ABC pattern recognition, volume profile, Fibonacci retracements, action-reaction models, and inter-market relationships along with other tools to zoom into such a low-risk and high success probability zone. Once such a zone is established, we go a time frame lower. In this case, the daily time frame, to fine-tune entries. Therefore, it increases probabilities and reduce entry risk even further. BTC in US-Dollar, Daily Chart, low-risk entries with quad exit: Bitcoin in US-Dollar, daily chart as of December 14th, 2021. Our third option presented is a more active way in market participation. It is refined in its form to suit more experienced traders to soothe trading psychology. In addition, it keeps entry risk to a minimum and maximizes profits. We openly share the underlying principles in our free Telegram channel. Alongside, we post real-time entries and exits for educational purposes. This approach has a sophisticated exit strategy (quad exits). It allows for partial profit-taking and expansive position size building over time to maximize one’s bitcoin exposure without added risks. The daily chart above focuses on two supply zones (yellow horizontal lines). The zones got identified by volume profile analysis (green histogram to the right side of the chart). We want the price to build a double bottom price pattern at one of these levels to enter a long position. We have already retraced from recent all-time highs in a typical percentage fashion for bitcoins trading behavior. Consequently, a turning point here is highly likely. Three ways to buy bitcoin: Overwhelm often stems from a lack of choices. After reading this chart book, we hope that those readers who feel intimidated experience a sigh of relief. Like gold, bitcoin is a store of value. We find a good likelihood that bitcoin might surpass the ten trillion gold market cap. Consequently, your investment right now has a fair chance to grow by a factor of ten or more.  After acquiring bitcoin, you can store your purchase in a small cold wallet, the size of a USB stick. Tuck it away, just like you do your precious metal coins. Buying now for the long term is still stepping in front of most market players which have succumbed to their doubts and procrastination. Consequently, it allows for this investment to be early, anticipating a likely change of the future regarding payment methods and store of value vehicles. Therefore, an asset with significant growth potential (=attractive risk/reward-ratio). Feel free to join us in our free Telegram channel for daily real time data and a great community. If you like to get regular updates on our gold model, precious metals and cryptocurrencies you can subscribe to our free newsletter. This article does not contain investment advice or recommendations. Every investment and trading move involves risk, and readers should conduct their own research when making a decision. The views, thoughts and opinions expressed here are the author’s alone. They do not necessarily reflect or represent the views and opinions of Midas Touch Consulting. By Korbinian Koller|December 14th, 2021|Tags: Bitcoin, Bitcoin bounce, Bitcoin bullish, bitcoin consolidation, crypto analysis, Crypto Bull, crypto chartbook, DeFi, low risk, quad exit, technical analysis, trading education|

  Stocks went lower yesterday, as investors took profits off the table ahead of today’s FOMC release. Was it a reversal or just correction? For in-depth technical analysis of various stocks and a recap of today's Stock Trading Alert we encourage you to watch   The S&P 500 index lost 0.75% on Tuesday, as it broke below its recent trading range. The broad stock market’s gauge retraced some of its rally and it got back below the 4,650 level. On the previous Friday the index fell to the local low of 4,495.12 and it was 5.24% below the Nov. 22 record high of 4,743.83. Then we saw another attempt at getting back to the all-time high and on Friday the index closed the highest in history. So was yesterday’s decline only a correction? For now, it looks like a downward correction, but we may see some more volatility following today’s FOMC release and tomorrow’s ECB and the BOE release. Today the index is expected to open virtually flat and it will likely trade within a consolidation before the Fed release at 2:00 p.m. The nearest important resistance level is now at 4,665-4,670, marked by the recent local lows and the next resistance level is at 4,700. On the other hand, the support level is at 4,610-4,630, marked by the previous Tuesday’s daily gap up of 4,612.60-4,631.97. The support level is also at 4,600. The S&P 500 is close to the early November local low, as we can see on the daily chart (chart by courtesy of http://stockcharts.com): Tech Stocks Are Relatively Weaker Let’s take a look at the Nasdaq 100 chart. The technology index bounced to the resistance level of 16,400. Tech stocks remain relatively weaker, as the Nasdaq 100 is closer to the early December local lows. Conclusion The S&P 500 index will likely trade within an intraday consolidation before the Fed release today. Then we may see an increased volatility in stocks, currencies and commodities. The S&P 500 index trades within a downward correction and we may see more profit-taking action in the near term. Here’s the breakdown: The S&P 500 is expected to open virtually flat ahead of today’s FOMC release. We are maintaining our short position from the 4,678 level. Like what you’ve read? Subscribe for our daily newsletter today, and you'll get 7 days of FREE access to our premium daily Stock Trading Alerts as well as our other Alerts. Sign up for the free newsletter today! Thank you. Paul Rejczak,Stock Trading StrategistSunshine Profits: Effective Investments through Diligence and Care * * * * * The information above represents analyses and opinions of Paul Rejczak & Sunshine Profits' associates only. As such, it may prove wrong and be subject to change without notice. At the time of writing, we base our opinions and analyses on facts and data sourced from respective essays and their authors. Although formed on top of careful research and reputably accurate sources, Paul Rejczak and his associates cannot guarantee the reported data's accuracy and thoroughness. The opinions published above neither recommend nor offer any securities transaction. Mr. Rejczak is not a Registered Securities Advisor. By reading his reports you fully agree that he will not be held responsible or liable for any decisions you make regarding any information provided in these reports. Investing, trading and speculation in any financial markets may involve high risk of loss. Paul Rejczak, Sunshine Profits' employees, affiliates as well as their family members may have a short or long position in any securities, including those mentioned in any of the reports or essays, and may make additional purchases and/or sales of those securities without notice.

Two weeks ago, we posted the following chart in our weekly silver chart book release, after representing a strong case for a bullish silver play: Silver in US-Dollar, Weekly chart from December 3rd, 2021: Silver in US-Dollar, weekly chart as of December 3rd, 2021. We wrote at the time: “The weekly chart above illustrates that as much as we have entered the “shopping zone” for silver. There is a probability that we might see a quick spike down as we have seen at the end of September.” Weekly chart, Silver in US-Dollar, creating silver wealth without fear: Silver in US-Dollar, weekly chart as of December 18th, 2021. We were spot on anticipating how the market would unfold in the future. Furthermore, we followed the principles of consistent analysis of our surroundings, the market, and ourselves. We advanced confidently in the direction of likely probabilities and tried to keep doubt to a minimum. Hourly chart, Silver in US-Dollar, well positioned: Silver in US-Dollar, hourly chart as of December 18th, 2021. This sequence allowed for a low-risk entry on December 15th, 2021 right at the lows. The entry-level of US$21.47 already allowed for a 2.75% partial profit-taking on half of our position size at US$22.06. As always, we use our low-risk quad exit strategy to reduce risk and, as such, fear of losing profits. Now we are well-positioned with the remainder of the position, and a stop raised to break even entry levels. Silver in US-Dollar, monthly chart, worth the effort: Silver in US-Dollar, monthly chart as of December 18th, 2021. The monthly chart above shows our planned following two targets for this trade. With an entry at US$21.47 and an initial tight stop at US$21.22, our risk/reward-ratio towards our first profit-taking target was about 1:2.37. Now for the next target at US$27.35, it is 1:23, and for the final target at US$47.20, it is 1:103. In other words, with extensive planning and stacking of odds, we were able to identify a trade that had about a percent of risk at entry time. In addition, we quickly mitigated risk by early partial profit-taking. And yet, we still have a profit potential of the final 25% of position size, possibly maturing to a 120% profit. Taking only highly likely and highly profitable trades like these is also confidence-building and a fear eliminator. Creating silver wealth without fear: Michael Jordan’s achievement of playing in the present moment only is nothing short of the accomplishment of monks and so-called enlightened beings. It takes a long stretch of a career to achieve such a skill set. It illustrates that trading is more than just pushing a button or extracting a mathematical edge system. Trading is psychology and requires many skill sets combined to produce the necessary consistency to overcome the dilemma that you are only as good as your last action. Luck alone will get you nowhere in this game. It is not our intention to discourage you. Instead, it is quite the opposite. Often trading can be overwhelming and at times one can be down thinking: „Why can’t I do this, why did I betray my own rules again?” Trading is hard, it takes screen time and skill. Do not let fear and doubt dictate your actions. You can do this! Feel free to join us in our free Telegram channel for daily real time data and a great community. If you like to get regular updates on our gold model, precious metals and cryptocurrencies you can also subscribe to our free newsletter. This article does not contain investment advice or recommendations. Every investment and trading move involves risk, and readers should conduct their own research when making a decision. The views, thoughts and opinions expressed here are the author’s alone. They do not necessarily reflect or represent the views and opinions of Midas Touch Consulting. By Korbinian Koller|December 19th, 2021|Tags: bottoming pattern, Crack-Up-Boom, Gold, Gold/Silver-Ratio, inflation, low risk, Silver, silver bull, Silver Chartbook, silversqueeze, technical analysis, The bottom is in, time frame, trading principles|0 Comments About the Author: Korbinian Koller Outstanding abstract reasoning ability and ability to think creatively and originally has led over the last 25 years to extract new principles and a unique way to view the markets resulting in a multitude of various time frame systems, generating high hit rates and outstanding risk reward ratios. Over 20 years of coaching traders with heart & passion, assessing complex situations, troubleshoot and solve problems principle based has led to experience and a professional history of success. Skilled natural teacher and exceptional developer of talent. Avid learner guided by a plan with ability to suppress ego and empower students to share ideas and best practices and to apply principle-based technical/conceptual knowledge to maximize efficiency. 25+ year execution experience (50.000+ trades executed) Trading multiple personal accounts (long and short-and combinations of the two). Amazing market feel complementing mechanical systems discipline for precise and extreme low risk entries while objectively seeing the whole picture. Ability to notice and separate emotional responses from the decision-making process and to stand outside oneself and one’s concerns about images in order to function in terms of larger objectives. Developed exit strategies that compensate both for maximizing profits and psychological ease to allow for continuous flow throughout the whole trading day. In depth knowledge of money management strategies with the experience of multiple 6 sigma events in various markets (futures, stocks, commodities, currencies, bonds) embedded in extreme low risk statistical probability models with smooth equity curves and extensive risk management as well as extensive disaster risk allow for my natural capacity for risk-taking.

The Gold Update by Mark Mead Baillie --- 631st Edition --- Monte-Carlo --- 18 December 2021 (published each Saturday) --- www.deMeadville.com 'Twas a week of hope for the precious metals, Gold therein rising low-to-high from 1753 to 1816 (+3.6%) and Silver per same from 21.41 to 22.69 (+6.0%). But given Gold is never really supposed to stray too far from the 1780s, let alone Silver be allowed to do anything material but decline, both precious metals eked out immaterial weekly gains. Gold settled yesterday (Friday) at 1799, +0.9% net for the week, and Silver at 22.36, +0.7% net. Indeed a net snoozer of a week: â–  Even as the Swiss Franc saw its linear regression trend (21-day basis) rotate further to positive... â–  Even as the Bond's price moved to a two-week high... â–  Even as the S&P's MoneyFlow for the week values the Index 120 points lower than 'tis... â–  Even (more broadly) as the U.S. money supply since March 2020 has averaged an increase of $1 trillion every 93 trading days... â–  Even as the Federal Reserve again alerted the world that 'tis preparing to raise rates; (they can't be outdone by the Bank of England having just so done, even as the European Central Bank remains hand-wringing): we're actually thinking the Fed terminates the tapering and pulls the trigger in its 26 January Policy Statement... "Sorry folks, but we had to do it, else your stick of butter is gonna cost ten bucks." BOOM! And with respect to the latter, as you regular readers well know, the increasing of FedFunds rates was very precious metals-positive during 2004-to-2006 and on balance Gold-positive from 2015-to-2018. Yes even as we've all these historically very Gold-positive events in play, 'tis low that the precious metals continue to lay. "Well mmb, the dollar refuses to die..." Duly noted there, Squire. As we've been saying, market dislocations are the "in thing" these days. Fundamentals have been flushed down the loo, but at least we've quantitative and technical analysis to see us through. For again we quip -- even as goofball-wacko as market correlations have become -- prices are never wrong, their ebbing and flowing still in play, which for the trader we hope leads the correct way: "Don't dare think, else you'll sink!" (That of course courtesy of "The Trend is Your Friend Dept."). Either way, these are extraordinarily challenging trading days! Did you know that the EDTR ("expected daily trading range") of the S&P 500 right now is 67 points? The average annual trading range of the S&P from 1993-1995 was 47 points per year with an average annual percentage tracing of 11%: this year the S&P is tracing a range that averages better than 5% per month! Again analogous to a snake in its death throes. And yet the precious metals remain a disappointment, (save to "The M Word" crowd). Recall "Gold Forecast High Goes Bye-Bye" penned back on 02 October per nixing our 2401 price forecast high for this year: "...The more likely scenario shall well be Gold just sloshing around into year-end, trading during Q4 between 1668-1849..." We'd hoped to have been wrong about that, but with just two weeks to run in 2021, 'tis exactly what's happened. Indeed you can see it "happening" (or better stated "not happening") here across Gold's weekly bars from a year ago-to-date. A snoozer indeed, be it this past week or past year, the current parabolic Long trend (blue dots) completely bereft of price actually rising: And as an added holiday treat (hardly), here is our like (rarely posted) graphic for Silver, unable to maintain her short-lived parabolic Long trend, indeed now Short (red dots). Rather, a truly tarnished treat, one has to say, her appearing none too festive: But as crooned Neil Young back in '70 "Don't let it bring you down..."as we've a ray of technical hope for Gold into year-end; ('course, fundamental hope for Gold springs eternal). This next chart displays Gold by the day from mid-year-to-date. In the graphic's lower panel is a favoured technical study of the trading community, the mouthful MACD ("moving average convergence divergence"). Of interest is the MACD having just confirmed a crossing to positive. And whilst hindsight isn't future-perfect, it is a useful predictor in forming a reasonable near-term target for Gold, as follows. This is Gold's 13th positive MACD crossover since 26 March 2020. The "average maximum" price follow-through of the prior 12 positive crossovers is +87 points within an average signal duration of 27 trading days, (essentially within five weeks). Thus from the confirmation price of 1799, an average 87-point rise would put Gold at 1886; (more conservatively, the "median maximum" price follow-through across those 12 prior occurrences is +57 points, which if met on this run would find Gold at 1856). So with no formidably recent structural overhead resistance -- plus Gold's penchant to have put in positive Decembers in four of the past five years -- a run up to test the denoted 16 November high of 1880 makes some sense, prudent cash management, as always, taking precedence: 'Course, the biggest "positive" (if you will) of the week was the aforementioned Old Lady of Threadneedle Street raising her benchmark interest rate by 150% from 0.10% to 0.25%. (Dare the 1st Earl of Halifax -- one Charles Montagu, who in 1694 devised establishing William Paterson's 1691 proposal for creating the BOE -- flip his wig). Meanwhile across the channel, the ECB looks to curtail its "emergency" asset purchases, but nonetheless is assessing other stimulus measures. No rate hike there. Certainly neither in China as economic consumption and the property market continue to weaken. "Got Dollars?" For indeed as you already well know lest you've been in a hole, the StateSide FedFolks look to bring their Bank's Funds rate up into the 0.75%-to-1.00% target range by the end of next year. And as noted, we think they'll initially move on 26 January, barring an excessive bout of "Oh my! Omicron!" Oh, and from the "Oh By The Way Dept." President "Jumpin' Joe" Biden just signed the $2.5 Trillion Dollar Debasement Declaration so that TreaSec Janet "Old Yeller" Yellen can keep paying the nation's debt obligations and bills through most of next year. For some perspective: the U.S. money supply from 02 January 1998 to 09 September 2005 grew by $2.5 trillion, (a pace of $1 trillion per 802 trading days) during which time the price of Gold increased by 55%. Today (as previously noted), the money supply is increasing at a an average rate of $1 trillion per just 93 trading days, but terrifically under-owned Gold basically "ain't done squat" (technical term). Just in case yer scorin' at home. Speaking of scoring, the Economic Barometer's strength through November has run out of puff thus far in December as we see here: Notable Baro improvements from last week's set of 15 incoming metrics include November's Capacity Utilization and Building Permits amongst other higher housing measures; but the month's growth in Industrial Production slowed significantly, as did Retail Sales. And whilst December's New York State Empire Index marginally gained ground, the Philly Fed Index more than halved what November's had found. And oh yes, there was also wholesale inflation for November, the Producer Price Index recording an annualized pace of +9.6%: which makes the old riddle about "How many zeros can fit on a Zimbabwean banknote?" not as funny as once 'twas. But 'tis not to worry, the FOMC having just stated that "...Progress on vaccinations and an easing of supply constraints are expected to support continued gains in economic activity and employment as well as a reduction in inflation..." As to how many rising Baby Blue dots does a consistent trend make, let's turn to our two-panel graphic for Gold's daily bars from three months ago-to-date on the left and those for Silver on the right. The respective rightmost up turns from the -80% axes are generally harbingers of higher prices, (and to wit the MACD study for Gold earlier shown). But Friday's rejective price action does initially breed some cause for concern: "The M Word" crowd? The quadruple-witch? Both? We display, you assay: Next we've the 10-day Market Profiles for Gold (below left) and Silver (below right). To be sure, by this view Gold's infinite 1780s appear supportive, whereas poor ole Sister Silver's array is a congested display: Let's close with three mentions of inflation: â–  Dow Jones Newswires "reported" this past week that a factor in determining the duration of inflation is how we feel about it, which in turn shall guide the Fed's interest rate decisions; (folks are well-paid to write this stuff). Here's what we feel: be it cost-push or demand-pull or both, when the money supply increases 33% in less than two years, 'tis game over; â–  From the same creative bunch also came the notion that because increasing inflation effectively makes for negative real rates of interest, the FOMC by not (yet) voting to raise rates is therefore actually stimulating the economy. Yeah, we get that, but such rationale may be the biggest infatuative policy-wonk hot-air crush ever; â–  Speaking of which, here's an inflation-induced blast: we read that the rather wealthy Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives is not supportive of a proposed ban on Congressional members from owning individual equities, her stating that "We’re a free-market economy": how's that for a 180° turn? (Maggie Thatcher, you don't know what you're missing). But don't you miss out in getting some Gold and Silver on the cheap before inevitably they leap. True, they had a rather feeble takeoff attempt this past week. But once they really get airborne, that'll be our kind of inflation, right there! Cheers! ...m... www.deMeadville.com www.TheGoldUpdate.com

Typically, various time frames perform better or worse for a trader at different times due to cycle overlaps. Having multiple trades on simultaneously from different time frames is typically an excellent hedge. This way, one can catch the specific trading instruments’ various shorter and longer-term trends. BTC in US-Dollar, Quarterly Chart, patience pays: Bitcoin in US-Dollar, quarterly chart as of December 21st, 2021. Typical mistakes are either an early entry or a chased trade and getting out too early of a steady trend. These behaviors have to do with pleasure-seeking and pain avoidance motivation. With the chart above in mind, most pass if presented with an opportunity where rewards are paid out in ten years. Wealth preservation, which we are after, should have nothing else in mind—long-term protection with a low-risk profile and a solid performance. The chart presented above is our most conservative view of the future for bitcoin, both in price and time. Meaning, it would come as no surprise to us if much higher price levels are achieved in a much shorter period of time. Yet, we tend to estimate typically very conservative to keep emotions like greed in check. BTC in US-Dollar, Weekly Chart, Bitcoin’s bullish time cycle alignment: Bitcoin in US-Dollar, weekly chart as of December 21st, 2021. The percentage gain numbers of the previous chart assume the worst possible purchase price, which is an all-time high. If we purchase bitcoin right now or prices below recent trading prices, these numbers already drastically change. Meaning, while our pain-avoiding emotional motivators direct us in declining markets to sell, it is principle-based if you have statistically high probability models over the long term to instead think about purchasing bitcoin. As indicated in the weekly chart above, we see a window of opportunity for entries based on our quarterly chart exit time horizon. Scenario A, the more aggressive position-taking, is in a process already at the release of this chart book. Nevertheless, there is a probability that prices could decline as far as US$40,000, and low-risk entry spots within the price decline to such lower levels would be as a scenario B welcome just as well. Should prices penetrate below the US$40,000 level, a regrouping would be required before new entries could be discussed. BTC in US-Dollar, Daily Chart, Position building in motion: Bitcoin in US-Dollar, daily chart as of December 21st, 2021. Assuming entries here in our entry zone between US$47,000 and US$40,000 and exits in our first chart of this chart book, a bitcoin investment next to be an insurance play against troubled fiat currencies could provide a profit near a thousand percent. The daily chart above has marked days and entry prices of three trades we posted live in our free Telegram channel in the last five days. We took partial profits based on our quad exit strategy within hours of entry. Consequently, eliminating the original stop risk of less than a percent to zero risk. With a risk-reward ratio of 1:1000, we find it reasonable to sit through a few years with the remainder position size for sizeable rewards. Bitcoin’s bullish time cycle alignment: Some of the worst mistakes in history were made based on the shortsightedness not to think long term. As creative and inventive a species, we cannot help but follow emotions that often do not have our own best interest in mind. One such emotion is instant gratification. It seems almost a burden to wait for being rewarded patiently. Yet, it is this discipline one needs to be a successful trader. First, you need the patience to not always be too early with one’s entry in a trade not to catch a falling knife. Then you require the patience not to chase a trade if you missed it.  Instead, wait for a later chance to get another low-risk entry spot or to pass up on the trade altogether. And foremost, once finding yourself in a good trade, it is imperative to sit on your hands and let the trade mature to full profits. The higher the time frame of your play is, the harder this test of your patience becomes.Remedies are good planning, consistent reviewing of a plan, rigorously following it, and employing an exit strategy suitable to your psychology (see our quad exit strategy). Feel free to join us in our free Telegram channel for daily real time data and a great community. If you like to get regular updates on our gold model, precious metals and cryptocurrencies you can subscribe to our free newsletter. This article does not contain investment advice or recommendations. Every investment and trading move involves risk, and readers should conduct their own research when making a decision. The views, thoughts and opinions expressed here are the author’s alone. They do not necessarily reflect or represent the views and opinions of Midas Touch Consulting. By Korbinian Koller|December 21st, 2021|Tags: Bitcoin, Bitcoin bounce, Bitcoin bullish, bitcoin consolidation, crypto analysis, Crypto Bull, crypto chartbook, DeFi, low risk, quad exit, technical analysis, trading education|0 Comments About the Author: Korbinian Koller Outstanding abstract reasoning ability and ability to think creatively and originally has led over the last 25 years to extract new principles and a unique way to view the markets resulting in a multitude of various time frame systems, generating high hit rates and outstanding risk reward ratios. Over 20 years of coaching traders with heart & passion, assessing complex situations, troubleshoot and solve problems principle based has led to experience and a professional history of success. Skilled natural teacher and exceptional developer of talent. Avid learner guided by a plan with ability to suppress ego and empower students to share ideas and best practices and to apply principle-based technical/conceptual knowledge to maximize efficiency. 25+ year execution experience (50.000+ trades executed) Trading multiple personal accounts (long and short-and combinations of the two). Amazing market feel complementing mechanical systems discipline for precise and extreme low risk entries while objectively seeing the whole picture. Ability to notice and separate emotional responses from the decision-making process and to stand outside oneself and one’s concerns about images in order to function in terms of larger objectives. Developed exit strategies that compensate both for maximizing profits and psychological ease to allow for continuous flow throughout the whole trading day. In depth knowledge of money management strategies with the experience of multiple 6 sigma events in various markets (futures, stocks, commodities, currencies, bonds) embedded in extreme low risk statistical probability models with smooth equity curves and extensive risk management as well as extensive disaster risk allow for my natural capacity for risk-taking.

Options are an increasingly popular financial product that gives traders numerous ways to manage risk while significantly leveraging capital. They are a powerful trading “tool” that can be bought, sold, and combined in a seemingly limitless number of ways to achieve a specific objective. One of the bigger questions for new -- and even experienced traders -- is whether to be an options buyer or seller. Or both.   QUICK REVIEW The price of an option is the sum of intrinsic and extrinsic (time) values. Intrinsic value is the mathematical difference between the option strike price and the price of the underlying.  Extrinsic value is variably priced based on the expected volatility of the underlying and remaining time before the option expires.  Let’s go through some of the pros and cons of buying versus selling options. BUYING OPTIONS Buying options seems like a simple enough strategy. The trader picks a bullish or bearish direction and goes long (buys) a put or a call corresponding to the stock's anticipated directional move. Be sure not to confuse being long an option and being long underlying. For example, if a trader is long a put, due to inverse correlation that is akin to being short the underlying. But being long an option is not as simple or easy as it appears. The first challenge with a long option is being right about the direction of the stock. The underlying has to move in the expected direction for the option to go up in value and possibly generate a profit.  The option buyer also has to be correct about the magnitude of the underlying move. If a trader buys an option and the amount of the move is not greater than what was spent for the time value, the option won't be profitable. For example, if $2 is spent for options time value, but the stock only moves $1, it is quite possible to be right about direction but still not profitable.  Time Value The time value in options is a wasting asset as it will always approach $0 at expiration, so that works in favor of option sellers and against option buyers. Think of time value like an ice cube, melting away slowly at first and then more rapidly. Since all options have a fixed time when they expire, duration is a significant consideration. A trader could be right about the direction and magnitude of the underlying move, but perhaps that doesn't materialize sufficiently during the option's lifetime. So enough time value has to be purchased for the move to happen. And more time value, of course, costs more money. Implied Volatility (IV) There's also the effect of volatility. The time value portion of an option is priced according to the underlying's anticipated (Implied) volatility. If an option is bought when volatility is low, and there is an increase in volatility, that makes the remaining time value portion of the option price more valuable. That can work in the option buyer's favor. But there's also the opposite situation; when an option is purchased when volatility is high, and there is a contraction in volatility. It's important to be able to gauge if option premium is underpriced, overpriced, or "average" priced. Technical tools to do that include charting implied volatility itself and some version of IV Rank where current IV is evaluated as a percentile of the range of IV over some time period, typically one year. So the inherent disadvantages of a long option are the necessity to be correct about direction, magnitude, duration, and possibly implied volatility. These considerations can make the probability of profit with a long option relatively low, often far below 50%. So why buy an option? Simple – unlimited profit potential! Long options can generate outsized profits when the trader is right about direction, magnitude, and duration. When does it make sense to use a long option? When a significant move in a stock is expected. When there’s a trend. When there’s a reversal in a range. When there’s a breakout (up or down). Solid technical analysis and a keen sense of the specific market are key success factors. SELLING OPTIONS For every buyer of an option, there is a seller (counterparty). Option sellers take on an obligation to either buy or sell and stock in return for collecting a premium.  There are a couple of disadvantages to selling options. The premium collected is the maximum profit possible. Selling an option also comes with a possibly substantial obligation to buy or provide stock. There are ways to reduce and manage that obligation risk, such as structuring trades as either vertical or calendar spreads, and these and others will be the subject of many future posts. So why sell an option? Probability of profit! Depending on how an option selling trade is structured, it’s possible to have a very high probability of success, sometimes 80% or more. It can be quite a bit easier to generate consistent, albeit smaller, profits with selling options. So, in summary, buying options come with an inherently low probability of an unlimited profit. Selling options come with a relatively high probability of a modest profit.  What do I do? Both. But I tend to be an option seller much more often than an option buyer. That better suits my personal style in trying to generate consistent profits for income. Other traders and investors with different objectives may find a different approach works best for them. Want to learn more about Options Trading? Every day on Options Trading Signals, we do defined risk trades that protect us from black swan events 24/7. Many may think that is what stop losses are for. Well, remember the markets are only open about 1/3 of the hours in a day. Therefore, a stop loss only protects you for 1/3 of each day. Stocks can gap up or down. With options, you are always protected because we do defined risk in a spread. We cover with multiple legs, which are always on once you own.    If you are new to trading or have been trading stock but are interested in options, you can find more information at The Technical Traders – Options Trading Signals Service. The head Options Trading Specialist Brian Benson, who has been trading options for almost 20 years, sends out real live trade alerts on actual trades, such as TSLA and NVDA, with real money. Ready to check it out, click here: TheTechnicalTraders.com. Enjoy your day! Chris VermeulenFounder & Chief Market StrategistTheTechnicalTraders.com

An active reassessment of the outlook for monetary policy continues in the financial markets, but these changes have so far not moved gold from its position near $1800. The latest gold performance shows that it remains a portfolio diversification instrument, with little correlation to stock indices. Gold has gained for the third consecutive day, almost hitting the $1810 level. Last week the price came under pressure along with stocks, as US government bond yields rose as investors preferred them over precious metals paying no dividends or coupons. Gold also decreased intraday on Monday on a sharp fall in equities. However, buying on declines towards $1785 is well notable in gold. This is another jump around sustained buying. Previously, the areas of notable buying were $1760 in November and December and $1720 in August and September. Even earlier, in March 2021, gold got strong demand on dips to $1680. It is important to note that the higher support levels in gold at the end of last year occurred at the same time as the bond yields were rising, so the correlation between these assets is not direct. Historically, gold is vulnerable to rising long-term government bond yields only in case of a massive risk-off in the markets, which we witnessed in the epicentre of the last two global crises in 2008 right after the Lehman bankruptcy and in 2020 in the first weeks of the official pandemic. If the Fed and other central bankers manage to rein in inflation without causing major market turbulence during the policy normalization period, it could be a good springboard for gold. We have seen a similar example in the last tightening cycle. The first rate hike at the end of 2015 ended a corrective pullback in gold, becoming the starting point for a new six-month-long growth wave. Now the approach of a rate hike could draw attention to gold as a hedge against declines in growth stocks, which have a high sensitivity to interest rate movements. On the technical analysis side, if a new upside momentum in gold forms, it will lead the path to the $2500-2600 area after a 61.8% Fibonacci retracement from the August 2018 to August 2020 growth wave.

Bitcoin will create, not destroy BTC in US-Dollar, monthly chart, no rush: Bitcoin in US-Dollar, monthly chart as of January 25th, 2022. All the typical fears came forward after last week’s price decline in the crypto space. Fears on why to get out of one’s bitcoin hodls. Even to walk away from the idea of bitcoin being a good store of value. But the emotional decision in market participation is often the wrong choice to come out ahead. Bitcoin will not be regulated away. With a near 100 billion tax revenue, bitcoin is unlikely to be banned in the USA. It has established itself in size as an income stream that no one could afford to give up. The monthly chart above shows that after the recent double top bitcoin´s two year strong up move has seen three months of a price decline to the 50% Fibonacci retracement line. To the right of the chart, we portray two fictitious candles as we see a likelihood of the future to unfold over the next two months.   BTC in US-Dollar, weekly chart, sideways to up: Bitcoin in US-Dollar, weekly chart as of January 25th, 2022. On January 20th, the Federal Reserve Board released a discussion paper that examines the pros and cons of a potential U.S. central bank digital currency. News like this shakes up investor’s minds, fearing possible conversions where fiat currency savings might lose some of their value. On top, massive fear ruled the market over the last few days and weeks, a time when professionals know that opportunities are just around the corner. A look at the weekly chart reveals that the right top of the monthly double top had a substructure of a head and shoulders formation. Last week, the shoulder line broke and sent prices plummeting for a near 22% loss. Prices find themselves now in a value zone. In the histogram to the right of the chart, we see a fractal volume analysis. This analysis suggests supply in the price zone between US$36,000 and US$31,000. BTC in US-Dollar, Daily Chart, Bitcoin will create, not destroy: Bitcoin in US-Dollar, daily chart as of January 25th, 2022. As much as we expect a sideways zone for four to eight weeks before bitcoin prices head significantly higher, we already attempted three long trades on a daily time frame after prices entered into the value zone pointed out on the previous chart. Our approach of position building thanks to a quad exit strategy exploit low-risk entry points. Consequently, we were able in the past to catch bitcoin long-term trades near their price lows. News has more than once in the past accelerated price up moves for bitcoin in an unexpected fashion. As a result, we are actively scanning for low-risk opportunities already now. The price moves marked in white show how prices decline quickly in bitcoin, while typically trading sideways most of the time. Fortunately, rising prices act just the same way. The volume profile to the right of the chart shows four significant supply zones. (marked in orange dotted horizontal lines.) Bitcoin will create, not destroy: The good news is that government’s conversion of fiat money to digital might scare people into fleeing with their savings into bitcoin. Henceforth, they further stabilize this payment method. We mention this possible future for bitcoin since changes could be rapid, significant, and surprising. Consequently, bitcoin might find itself in a fast uptrend with high price targets to be expected. We also want to point out the nature of your participation in long-term bitcoin acquisitions. You are not only a speculator on a perfect investment, but also a holder of a positive value. A principle value that protects your freedom of purchasing power. A purchasing power that isn’t transparent allows you to conduct business as you please. Transactions without a controlling force casting a shadow over your choices. Feel free to join us in our free Telegram channel for daily real time data and a great community. If you like to get regular updates on precious metals and cryptocurrencies, you can also subscribe to our free newsletter. Disclosure: This article and the content are for informational purposes only and do not contain investment advice or recommendations. Every investment and trading move involves risk, and readers should conduct their own research when making a decision. The views, thoughts and opinions expressed here are the author’s alone. They do not necessarily reflect or represent the views and opinions of Midas Touch Consulting. By Korbinian Koller|January 25th, 2022|Tags: Bitcoin, Bitcoin bounce, Bitcoin bullish, bitcoin consolidation, crypto analysis, Crypto Bull, crypto chartbook, DeFi, low risk, quad exit, technical analysis, trading education|0 Comments About the Author: Korbinian Koller Outstanding abstract reasoning ability and ability to think creatively and originally has led over the last 25 years to extract new principles and a unique way to view the markets resulting in a multitude of various time frame systems, generating high hit rates and outstanding risk reward ratios. Over 20 years of coaching traders with heart & passion, assessing complex situations, troubleshoot and solve problems principle based has led to experience and a professional history of success. Skilled natural teacher and exceptional developer of talent. Avid learner guided by a plan with ability to suppress ego and empower students to share ideas and best practices and to apply principle-based technical/conceptual knowledge to maximize efficiency. 25+ year execution experience (50.000+ trades executed) Trading multiple personal accounts (long and short-and combinations of the two). Amazing market feel complementing mechanical systems discipline for precise and extreme low risk entries while objectively seeing the whole picture. Ability to notice and separate emotional responses from the decision-making process and to stand outside oneself and one’s concerns about images in order to function in terms of larger objectives. Developed exit strategies that compensate both for maximizing profits and psychological ease to allow for continuous flow throughout the whole trading day. In depth knowledge of money management strategies with the experience of multiple 6 sigma events in various markets (futures, stocks, commodities, currencies, bonds) embedded in extreme low risk statistical probability models with smooth equity curves and extensive risk management as well as extensive disaster risk allow for my natural capacity for risk-taking.

Bitcoin, the plan, and its execution The Plan: It is an election year when Democrats will project political pressure upon the Federal Reserve to not risk through aggressive policy changes a stock market collapse to keep their votes. As a result, more money printing expands inflation, which supports the interest for bitcoin as an inflation hedge. Should we see in opposition for whatever reason a rapid stock market decline, the investor would unlikely be interested in owning stock or bonds. While initially, bitcoin prices would likely fall alongside the markets, money will likely flow into bitcoin shortly afterward. The execution: With bitcoins prices suppressed from their recent decline (down 52% from its last all-time high at around US$69,000), we have another edge for minimizing exposure risk. BTC in US-Dollar, monthly chart, high likely turning points: Bitcoin in US-Dollar, monthly chart as of January 31st, 2022. The chart above depicts five supply zones we have our eye on. We will try identifying low-risk entry points on smaller time frames at or near these points and reduce risk further with our quad exit strategy. We already had entries near zone 1 and 2 and posted those live in our free Telegram channel. BTC in US-Dollar, weekly chart, bitcoin, the plan, and its execution, reload trading: Bitcoin in US-Dollar, weekly chart as of February 1st, 2022. Once the more significant time frame turning point is identified (white arrow), we will add what we call ‘reload’ trades (see chart above) on the smaller weekly time frame. We do so by identifying low-risk entries in congestion zones (yellow boxes) on the way up. We aim to arrive near the elections in November with a sizable position that is due to our exit strategy being risk-free. Playing with the market’s money will allow for positive execution psychology and ease us to observe our position through an expected volatility period, with further profit-taking into possible volatile upswings that are only temporary in nature. BTC in US-Dollar, Quarterly Chart, long-term profit potential: Bitcoin in US-Dollar, quarterly chart as of February 1st, 2022. While this year’s midterm trading on the long side of the bitcoin market could provide for substantial income from the 50% profit-taking of each individual trade and reload based on our quad exit strategy, the real goal is to have a remaining position size that could potentially go to unfathomable heights, since we see in the long term the inflation problem not going away but rather culminating in a bitcoin rise that could be substantially much larger in percentage than alternative inflation hedges like real estate, gold, silver and alike. Not to say that we find it also essential to hold these asset classes for wealth preservation. The quarterly chart above illustrates the potential of such a position. We illustrated both in time (six years) and price (US$ 134,000) our most conservative model in this chart. Bitcoin, the plan, and its execution: We see no scenario where inflation is just going away. The above narrative shows that a short-term fueling of inflation is likely. Furthermore, a high-risk scenario is fueling inflation even more. Should markets decline rapidly, it can be expected that money printing and buying up the market is the most predominant solution applied. Consequently, the average investor would wake up relieved that prices wouldn’t decline any further but liquidating their holdings in a further inflated fiat currency will have massively decreased purchasing power. Feel free to join us in our free Telegram channel for daily real time data and a great community. If you like to get regular updates on precious metals and cryptocurrencies, you can also subscribe to our free newsletter. Disclosure: This article and the content are for informational purposes only and do not contain investment advice or recommendations. Every investment and trading move involves risk, and readers should conduct their own research when making a decision. The views, thoughts and opinions expressed here are the author’s alone. They do not necessarily reflect or represent the views and opinions of Midas Touch Consulting. By Korbinian Koller|February 1st, 2022|Tags: Bitcoin, Bitcoin bounce, Bitcoin bullish, bitcoin consolidation, crypto analysis, Crypto Bull, crypto chartbook, DeFi, low risk, quad exit, technical analysis, trading education|0 Comments About the Author: Korbinian Koller Outstanding abstract reasoning ability and ability to think creatively and originally has led over the last 25 years to extract new principles and a unique way to view the markets resulting in a multitude of various time frame systems, generating high hit rates and outstanding risk reward ratios. Over 20 years of coaching traders with heart & passion, assessing complex situations, troubleshoot and solve problems principle based has led to experience and a professional history of success. Skilled natural teacher and exceptional developer of talent. Avid learner guided by a plan with ability to suppress ego and empower students to share ideas and best practices and to apply principle-based technical/conceptual knowledge to maximize efficiency. 25+ year execution experience (50.000+ trades executed) Trading multiple personal accounts (long and short-and combinations of the two). Amazing market feel complementing mechanical systems discipline for precise and extreme low risk entries while objectively seeing the whole picture. Ability to notice and separate emotional responses from the decision-making process and to stand outside oneself and one’s concerns about images in order to function in terms of larger objectives. Developed exit strategies that compensate both for maximizing profits and psychological ease to allow for continuous flow throughout the whole trading day. In depth knowledge of money management strategies with the experience of multiple 6 sigma events in various markets (futures, stocks, commodities, currencies, bonds) embedded in extreme low risk statistical probability models with smooth equity curves and extensive risk management as well as extensive disaster risk allow for my natural capacity for risk-taking.

S&P 500 got close to its all-time high, as market mood turned bullish again. But the index retraced some of the rally. So will the uptrend continue? For in-depth technical analysis of various stocks and a recap of today's Stock Trading Alert we encourage you to watch The S&P 500 index gained 0.39% on Tuesday, Nov. 16, as it closed slightly above the 4,700 mark. The market reached the daily high of 4,714.95 before retracing some of the intraday advance. It got close to the Nov. 5 record high of 4,718.50. Last week it fell to the local low of 4,630.86 and it was almost 88 points or 1.86% below the record high. The early November rally was not broad-based and it was driven by a handful of tech stocks like MSFT, NVDA, TSLA. The market seemed overbought in the short-term and it traded within a topping pattern. Then the index retraced some of that advance, as it fell the mentioned 88 points from the record high. The nearest important support level remains at 4,630-4,650 and the next support level is at 4,600. On the other hand, the resistance level is at 4,700-4,720. The S&P 500 broke below its steep short-term upward trend line recently, as we can see on the daily chart (chart by courtesy of http://stockcharts.com): Nasdaq Extended Its Short-Term Uptrend Let’s take a look at the Nasdaq 100 chart. The technology index broke above the 16,000 level recently and it was trading at the new record high. The market accelerated higher above its short-term upward trend line. But last week it retraced some of the advance and it got back to the 16,000 level. Since then it has been advancing and yesterday it got back closer to the record high, as we can see on the daily chart: Apple Above $150, Microsoft at New Record High Let’s take a look at the two biggest stocks in the S&P 500 index, AAPL and MSFT. Apple broke above the $150 price level yesterday. However, it remains well below the early September record high. Microsoft stock retraced all of its recent decline and it reached the new record high of $340.67 yesterday, as we can see on their daily charts: Conclusion The S&P 500 index is expected to open virtually flat this morning. We may see another attempt at breaking above the 4,700 level. However, the market will likely continue to fluctuate along that level following mixed economic data releases. Here’s the breakdown: The S&P 500 bounced from its last week’s local low and it got back above the 4,700 level yesterday. It still looks like a short-term consolidation. Still no positions are justified from the risk/reward point of view. Like what you’ve read? Subscribe for our daily newsletter today, and you'll get 7 days of FREE access to our premium daily Stock Trading Alerts as well as our other Alerts. Sign up for the free newsletter today! Thank you. Paul Rejczak,Stock Trading StrategistSunshine Profits: Effective Investments through Diligence and Care * * * * * The information above represents analyses and opinions of Paul Rejczak & Sunshine Profits' associates only. As such, it may prove wrong and be subject to change without notice. At the time of writing, we base our opinions and analyses on facts and data sourced from respective essays and their authors. Although formed on top of careful research and reputably accurate sources, Paul Rejczak and his associates cannot guarantee the reported data's accuracy and thoroughness. The opinions published above neither recommend nor offer any securities transaction. Mr. Rejczak is not a Registered Securities Advisor. By reading his reports you fully agree that he will not be held responsible or liable for any decisions you make regarding any information provided in these reports. Investing, trading and speculation in any financial markets may involve high risk of loss. Paul Rejczak, Sunshine Profits' employees, affiliates as well as their family members may have a short or long position in any securities, including those mentioned in any of the reports or essays, and may make additional purchases and/or sales of those securities without notice.

Meta (FB) shares lost around 20% post-market, which appears to be an overreaction and shows how wary buyers have become of the former growth leaders, the so-called FAANG stocks. The sharp declines of former crowd favourites could result from a reassessment of the medium-term outlook, for example, due to changes in monetary policy. But they could also be the next domino effect in an impending bear market. Netflix shares lost more than 30% in a few days following a disappointing report late last month and fell 50% from their peak in late November before fumbling for support from bargain hunters. PayPal was not technically in the FAANG big league but was punished just as much, losing around 25% intraday yesterday. After Facebook, Snap (-15%) and Twitter (-7%) also took a tangential hit. In our view, these are not isolated corporate stories but manifestations of broader underline currents. And in the coming days, we will have to determine whether we see a change in the bull market leaders or the first signals of a prolonged bearish trend. In a bear market, the weakest stars are the first to fall, and then the vortex of decline attracts more and more strong participants. The first domino is meme stocks, which had fallen methodically since June when the first signals emerged that the Fed was starting to prepare the markets for a wind-down. Then we saw a peak in many high-tech stocks in November when the Fed started cutting back on buying. By this logic, the downward spiral could pull more strong stocks into a downward spiral by the time interest rates rise, which is expected in March. Looking more broadly at the Nasdaq100 index, there is a rather worrying tech analysis picture. It is once again below its 200-day moving average. The high-tech-filled Meta retreated 2.4% after the report. The S&P500 and DJIA, however, look noticeably stronger on the technical analysis side. But it is worth watching closely how the trading will go this week and whether the buyers will reverse the negative trend of the former Nasdaq favourites. If so, we see a change in the leaders in the form of a rotation in value stocks and other names affected by the pandemic. But fears that the Fed is preparing to take money out of the financial system could force market players to take money off the table by selling blue chips.

However, these gains attracted some profit-taking at prices around US$1,850. And in the aftermath of last week’s FOMC meeting, gold sold off for three days in a row. This merciless sell-off only ended at US$1,780 wiping out nearly all gains since mid of December. It was some form of the classic “the bull walks up the stairs and the bear jumps out the window” pattern, which is a typical behavior within an uptrend.Hence and exactly for this reason, the deep pullback did not necessarily end the recovery in the gold market. Of course, in the bigger picture, the entire precious metals sector is still stuck in this tenacious correction which has been ongoing since August 2020. In the short-term, however, the pullback has created an oversold setup and once again proved that there is buying interest at prices below US$1,800.US-Dollar index, daily chart as of February 3rd, 2022. False breakout?US-Dollar index, daily chart as of February 3rd, 2022.It also seems that the US-Dollar might have hit an important top last Thursday and is now moving lower, which would be very supportive for gold, of course. Everyone is expecting the US-Dollar to go up as the FED is expected to raise interest rates. But the US-Dollar has been discounting this “hike and taper scenario” for several months already. Actually, the US-Dollar index has been rallying +8.8% since May 2021! During the recent FOMC meeting, however, big money might have used the seeming breakout to sell their dollar longs into a favorable high-volume setup. At the same time, stock market sentiment was extremely bearish. Hence, last week likely triggered a top in the US-Dollar and a violent back and forth bottoming pattern for the stock-market.US-Dollar index, monthly chart as of February 3rd, 2022. A series of lower highs!US-Dollar index, monthly chart as of February 3rd, 2022.In the big picture, a top in the US-Dollar would continue the series of lower highs for the dollar. As well, the US-Dollar is moving within a huge triangle since 2001. After a series of three lower highs since December 2016, a test of the lower boundary of the triangle would give gold prices an extreme tailwind in the coming years. Hence, even if it´s hard to come up with any bearish arguments for the dollar at the moment, technically it looks like the dollar could roll over.Gold in US-Dollar, daily chart from February 3rd, 2020. Gold’s behavior is changing.Gold in US-Dollar, daily chart as of February 3rd, 2022.For gold, a weaker US-Dollar would be very helpful. In fact, since the beginning of this week, we perceive an ongoing change in gold’s behavior. We are getting impressed by its intraday strength! Every small pullback around and below US$1,800 was rather quickly bought again. So far, gold has only recovered 38.2% of last week’s nasty sell-off and currently sits pretty much exactly at its 200-day moving average (US$1,805).But the fresh buy signal from the slow stochastic oscillator on the daily chart promises more upside. Hence, we see gold fuming its way higher in the coming weeks. In the next step, gold will have to overcome the 38.2% resistance around US$1,808.50 and then continue its recovery towards US$1,830. In any case, the seasonal component is at least very favorable until the end of February. Therefore, even higher price targets are conceivable too. But gold needs to breakout above the triangle and clear US$1,850. Only then a more sustainable bullish momentum would emerge which could last further into spring.If, on the other hand, gold takes out US$1,780, the recovery since mid of December might be over already and the medium-term correction might likely pick up again.Conclusion: Seasonality favors another wave upOverall, we assume that seasonality favors another wave up in the gold market. Thus, another rally towards at least US$1,830 is realistic. We are short-term bullish, mid-term neutral to skeptic and long-term very bullish for gold.Feel free to join us in our free Telegram channel for daily real time data and a great community. If you like to get regular updates on our gold model, precious metals and cryptocurrencies you can also subscribe to our free newsletter.Disclosure: Midas Touch Consulting and members of our team are invested in Reyna Gold Corp. These statements are intended to disclose any conflict of interest. They should not be misconstrued as a recommendation to purchase any share. This article and the content are for informational purposes only and do not contain investment advice or recommendations. Every investment and trading move involves risk, and readers should conduct their own research when making a decision. The views, thoughts and opinions expressed here are the author’s alone. They do not necessarily reflect or represent the views and opinions of Midas Touch Consulting.By Florian Grummes|February 3rd, 2022|Tags: EUR/USD, Gold, Gold Analysis, Gold bullish, gold chartbook, Gold neutral, precious metals, Reyna Gold, US-Dollar|0 CommentsAbout the Author: Florian GrummesFlorian Grummes is an independent financial analyst, advisor, consultant, trader & investor as well as an international speaker with more than 20 years of experience in financial markets. He is specialized in precious metals, cryptocurrencies and technical analysis. He is publishing weekly gold, silver & cryptocurrency analysis for his numerous international readers. He is also running a large telegram Channel and a Crypto Signal Service. Florian is well known for combining technical, fundamental and sentiment analysis into one accurate conclusion about the markets. Since April 2019 he is chief editor of the cashkurs-gold newsletter focusing on gold and silver mining stocks. Besides all that, Florian is a music producer and composer. Since more than 25 years he has been professionally creating, writing & producing more than 300 songs. He is also running his own record label Cryon Music & Art Productions. His artist name is Florzinho.

Stacking bitcoins winning edges It is not the number of edges that get it low risk. And again, there are no hidden magic formulas. What works well is covering multiple aspects in stacking one’s edges: Market behavior Time of day Oscillators for ranging markets Indicators for trending markets Supply/demand zone identification (VWAP=volume weighted average price, in addition to support and resistance lines) Inter-market relationships Leading/lagging (relative strength within a sector or group) Candlestick pattern Volume Time frame relationships Action-reaction principle News Day of the week Swing leg count MAE (=maximum adverse excursion) Mathematical/statistical edges like standard deviation Your list might look vastly different but should include tools that cover the principal variants of market behavior (ranging, trending, slow/fast price action, liquidity, time, volume, transactions). Investopedia is a good research tool for finding definitions and explanations of the various available technical tools. BTC in US-Dollar, daily chart, how we stack odds in our favor: Bitcoin in US-Dollar, daily chart as of February 8th, 2022. Our previous chart book release described fundamental reasons for being bullish on bitcoin, which we stack in a similar principled fashion. We pointed out that we were looking for low-risk entry points to build up a long-term position for bitcoin. Such a low-risk opportunity arose on February 3rd, last week. We had the following edges stacked at the time of entry (green arrow): General price strength (directional yellow line channel) Previous day retracement (action-reaction principle) Small range Doji for tight stop and possible reversal indication VWAP (blue histogram to the right of the chart) indicating a supply zone Scheduled ECB news item out of the way Time of week Time of day (we entered near the close of the daily candle) Extended from the mean (blue line, standard deviation) Commodity Channel Index (CCI). A momentum-based oscillator useful in congested sideways channels, gave the prior day to execution indication of a long entry (yellow arrow) We posted our entry in real-time in our free Telegram channel. Within a 24-hour period, we could profit on half of the position size for a gain of 8.73%. We also posted this first profit-taking target in real-time in our free Telegram channel. Our quad exit strategy provides income-producing revenues like this but, even more, eliminates risk. Consequently, this approach supports trading the remaining position with psychological ease for the intended long-term holding period. Hence, even starting out as a a short-term trade, the last 25% of the initial position can become a long-term invest. BTC in US-Dollar, weekly chart, well-positioned: Bitcoin in US-Dollar, weekly chart as of February 8th, 2022. With previous entries at recent lows established in much the same manner, we are now exposed to the market with seven remaining rest positions at zero risk. Such an approach can afford to negate whether this will be the long-term turning point or not. Profits have been made. Should our plan pan out, then the remaining exposed capital will lead to further profits. Otherwise, this remaining position size will stop out at breakeven entry level. The weekly chart shows now a confirmed situation of a weekly bar takeout. For most traders this is an entry signal while we were already well established. We are playing with the market’s money and profits banked. With this time frame alignment more money is expected to join the long side. The chart also illustrates the favorable risk/reward-ratio to the right of the chart.   BTC in US-Dollar, monthly chart, early bird: Bitcoin in US-Dollar, monthly chart as of February 8th, 2022. A glance at the monthly chart shows we are positioned very early and aggressively for this time frame. Nevertheless, as soon as prices might reach US$48,000, we will find ourselves here as well time frame aligned with a bar takeout. Green numbers show our entry prices for January with two entries and February with five entries. Should prices move upwards in our favor, we would take again partial profits near the red horizontal trend line slightly below all-time highs. The remaining positions stays in place for a possible breakout to all-time new highs. Too late if you are not positioned yet? No! This continuous flow of adding low-risk entry trades followed by partial profit-taking allows participating at all stages of market swings. Stacking bitcoins winning edges: In short, you want to have a clear instruction sheet on what to do in whatever market condition bitcoin throws at you. With a set of tools broadly covering all these variants and measuring them, you will be able to act without hesitancy. Then you can hope for the best, since you planned for the worst. Risk control is the core of each advanced trading approach! We aim to keep it simple, like a card counter, which supports executing high probability winning trades. At the same time, the crowd is confronted by surprising news or fast-moving markets. They use reactionary, inappropriate execution, which in turn creates losing trades. Feel free to join us in our free Telegram channel for daily real time data and a great community. If you like to get regular updates on precious metals and cryptocurrencies, you can also subscribe to our free newsletter. Disclosure: This article and the content are for informational purposes only and do not contain investment advice or recommendations. Every investment and trading move involves risk, and readers should conduct their own research when making a decision. The views, thoughts and opinions expressed here are the author’s alone. They do not necessarily reflect or represent the views and opinions of Midas Touch Consulting. By Korbinian Koller|February 6th, 2022|Tags: Bitcoin, Bitcoin bounce, Bitcoin bullish, bitcoin consolidation, crypto analysis, Crypto Bull, crypto chartbook, DeFi, low risk, quad exit, technical analysis, trading education|0 Comments About the Author: Korbinian Koller Outstanding abstract reasoning ability and ability to think creatively and originally has led over the last 25 years to extract new principles and a unique way to view the markets resulting in a multitude of various time frame systems, generating high hit rates and outstanding risk reward ratios. Over 20 years of coaching traders with heart & passion, assessing complex situations, troubleshoot and solve problems principle based has led to experience and a professional history of success. Skilled natural teacher and exceptional developer of talent. Avid learner guided by a plan with ability to suppress ego and empower students to share ideas and best practices and to apply principle-based technical/conceptual knowledge to maximize efficiency. 25+ year execution experience (50.000+ trades executed) Trading multiple personal accounts (long and short-and combinations of the two). Amazing market feel complementing mechanical systems discipline for precise and extreme low risk entries while objectively seeing the whole picture. Ability to notice and separate emotional responses from the decision-making process and to stand outside oneself and one’s concerns about images in order to function in terms of larger objectives. Developed exit strategies that compensate both for maximizing profits and psychological ease to allow for continuous flow throughout the whole trading day. In depth knowledge of money management strategies with the experience of multiple 6 sigma events in various markets (futures, stocks, commodities, currencies, bonds) embedded in extreme low risk statistical probability models with smooth equity curves and extensive risk management as well as extensive disaster risk allow for my natural capacity for risk-taking.

TL;DR Breaking news, TA is hard! If you’ve been trading for at least a little while, you’ll know that making mistakes is part of the game. In fact, losses are impossible to avoid for any trader – even experienced ones who make fewer errors. With that said, there are some trivial mistakes that almost every beginner makes when starting out. The best traders always remain open-minded, rational, calm. They understand their gameplan, and simply keep reading what the market is telling them. This is what you also need to do if you want to succeed! If you develop these qualities, you can manage risk, analyze your mistakes, play to your strengths, and constantly keep improving. Try to be the calmest person in the room, especially when things are looking rough.  Let’s see how you can avoid the most obvious mistakes! Learn more on Binance.com   Introduction Technical analysis (TA) is one of the most used ways to analyze the financial markets. TA can be applied to essentially any financial market, whether that’s stocks, forex, gold, or cryptocurrencies. While the basic concepts of technical analysis are relatively easy to grasp, it’s a difficult art to master. When you’re learning any new skill, it’s natural to make a lot of mistakes on the way. This can be especially harmful when it comes to trading or investing. If you are not being careful and learning from your mistakes, you risk losing a significant portion of your capital. Learning from your mistakes is great, but avoiding them as much as possible is even better.  This article will introduce you to some of the most common mistakes in technical analysis. If you’re new to trading, why not go through some technical analysis basics first? Check out our article on What is Technical Analysis? and 5 Essential Indicators Used in Technical Analysis. So, what are the most common mistakes beginners make when trading with technical analysis?     1. Not cutting your losses Let’s start with a quote from commodities trader Ed Seykota: "The elements of good trading are: (1) cutting losses, (2) cutting losses, and (3) cutting losses. If you can follow these three rules, you may have a chance.” This seems like a simple step, but it’s always good to emphasize its importance. When it comes to trading and investing, protecting your capital should always be your number one priority.  Starting out with trading can be a daunting undertaking. A solid approach to consider when you’re starting out is the following: the first step isn’t to win, it’s to not lose. This is why it can be favorable to start with smaller position sizing, or not even risk real funds. Binance Futures, for example, has a testnet where you can try out your strategies before risking your hard-earned funds. This way, you can protect your capital, and risk it only once you’re consistently producing good results. Setting a stop-loss is simple rationality. Your trades should have an invalidation point. This is where you “bite the bullet” and accept that your trade idea was wrong. If you don’t apply this mindset to your trading, you likely won’t be doing well over the long-term. Even one bad trade can be very detrimental to your portfolio, and you might end up holding a losing bag, hoping for the market to recover.   2. Overtrading When you’re an active trader, it’s a common mistake to think you always need to be in a trade. Trading involves a lot of analysis and a lot of, well, sitting around, patiently waiting! With some trading strategies, you may need to wait a long time to get a reliable signal to enter a trade. Some traders may enter less than three trades per year and still produce outstanding returns. Check out this quote from trader Jesse Livermore, one of the pioneers of day trading: “Money is made by sitting, not trading.” Try to avoid entering a trade just for the sake of it. You don’t always have to be in a trade. In fact, in some market conditions, it’s actually more profitable to do nothing and wait for an opportunity to present itself. This way, you preserve your capital and have it ready to deploy once the good trading opportunities show up again. It’s worth keeping in mind that the opportunities will always come back, you just have to wait for them. A similar trading mistake is an overemphasis on lower time frames. Analysis done on higher time frames will generally be more reliable than analysis done on lower time frames. As such, low time frames will produce a lot of market noise and may tempt you to enter trades more often. While there are many successful scalpers and short-term profitable traders, trading on lower time frames usually brings a bad risk/reward ratio. As a risky trading strategy, it’s certainly not recommended for beginners.   3. Revenge trading It’s quite common to see traders trying to immediately make back a significant loss. This is what we call revenge trading. It doesn’t matter if you want to be a technical analyst, a day trader, or a swing trader – avoiding emotional decisions is crucial. It’s easy to stay calm when things are going well, or even when you make small mistakes. But can you stay calm when things go completely wrong? Can you stick to your trading plan, even when everyone else is panicking? Notice the word “analysis” in technical analysis. Naturally, this implies an analytical approach to the markets, right? So, why would you want to make hasty, emotional decisions in such a framework? If you want to be among the best traders, you should be able to stay calm even after the biggest mistakes. Avoid emotional decisions, and focus on keeping a logical, analytical mindset. Trading immediately after suffering a big loss tends to lead to even more losses. As such, some traders may not even trade at all for a period of time following a big loss. This way, they can get a fresh start and get back to trading with a clear mind.       4. Being too stubborn to change your mind If you’d like to become a successful trader, don’t be afraid to change your mind. A lot. Market conditions can change really quickly, and one thing’s a certainty. They will keep changing. Your job as a trader is to recognize those changes and adapt to them. One strategy that works really well in a specific market environment may not work at all in another. Let’s read what legendary trader Paul Tudor Jones had to say about his positions: “Every day I assume every position I have is wrong.” It’s good practice to try to take the other side of your arguments to see their potential weaknesses. This way, your investment theses (and decisions) can become more comprehensive. This also brings up another point: cognitive biases. Biases can heavily affect your decision-making, cloud your judgment, and limit the range of possibilities you’re able to consider. Make sure to at least understand the cognitive biases that may affect your trading plans, so you can mitigate their consequences more effectively.   5. Ignoring extreme market conditions There are times when the predictive qualities of TA become less reliable. These can be black swan events or other kinds of extreme market conditions that are heavily driven by emotion and mass psychology. Ultimately, the markets are driven by supply and demand, and there can be times when they are extremely imbalanced to one side. Take the example of the Relative Strength Index (RSI), a momentum indicator. Generally, if the reading is below 30, the charted asset may be considered oversold. Does this mean that it’s an immediate trade signal when the RSI goes below 30? Absolutely not! It just means that the momentum of the market is currently dictated by the seller side. In other words, it just indicates that sellers are stronger than buyers. The RSI can reach extreme levels during extraordinary market conditions. It might even drop to single digits – close to the lowest possible reading (zero). Even such an extreme oversold reading may not necessarily mean that a reversal is imminent.    Blindly making decisions based on technical tools reaching extreme readings can lose you a lot of money. This is especially true during black swan events when the price action can be exceptionally hard to read. During times like these, the markets can keep going in one direction or the other, and no analytical tool will stop them. This is why it’s always important to consider other factors as well, and not rely on a single tool.   6. Forgetting that TA is a game of probabilities Technical analysis doesn’t deal with absolutes. It deals with probabilities. This means that whatever technical approach you’re basing your strategies on, there’s never a guarantee that the market will behave as you expect. Maybe your analysis suggests that there’s a very high probability of the market moving up or down, but that’s still not a certainty. You need to take this into account when you’re setting up your trading strategies. No matter how experienced you are, it’s never a great idea to think the market will follow your analysis. If you do that, you’re prone to oversizing and betting too big on one outcome, risking a big financial loss.   7. Blindly following other traders Constantly improving your craft is essential if you want to master any skill. This is especially true when it comes to trading the financial markets. In fact, changing market conditions make it a necessity. One of the best ways to learn is to follow experienced technical analysts and traders. However, if you’d like to become consistently good, you also need to find your own strengths and build on them. We can call this your edge, the thing that makes you different from others as a trader. If you read many interviews with successful traders, you’ll surely notice that they’ll have quite different strategies. In fact, one strategy that works perfectly for one trader may be deemed completely unfeasible by another. There are countless ways to profit off of the markets. You just need to find which one suits your personality and trading style the best. Entering a trade based on someone else’s analysis might work out a few times. However, if you just blindly follow other traders without understanding the underlying context, it most definitely won’t work over the long-term. This, of course, doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t follow and learn from others. The important thing is whether you agree with the trade idea and whether it fits into your trading system. You should not be blindly following other traders, even if they are experienced and reputable.   Closing thoughts We went through some of the most fundamental mistakes you should avoid when using technical analysis. Remember, trading isn’t easy, and it’s generally more feasible to approach it with a longer-term mindset. Becoming consistently good at trading is a process that takes time. It requires a lot of practice in refining your trading strategies and learning how to formulate your own trade ideas. This way, you can find your strengths, identify your weaknesses, and be in control of your investment and trading decisions. If you’d like to read more about chart analysis, check out 12 Popular Candlestick Patterns Used in Technical Analysis.

What are trend lines? In financial markets, trend lines are diagonal lines drawn on charts. They connect specific data points, making it easier for chartists and traders to visualize price movements and identify market trends.  Trend lines are considered one of the most basic tools in technical analysis (TA). They are widely used in stock, fiat currency, derivatives, and cryptocurrency markets.  Essentially, trend lines work like support and resistance levels but are made of diagonals instead of horizontal lines. As such, they can have either a positive or negative slope. In general, the greater the slope of the line, the stronger the trend is. We can divide trend lines into two basic categories: ascending (uptrend) and descending (downtrend). As the name suggests, an uptrend line is drawn from a lower to a higher chart position. It connects two or more low points, as illustrated in the image below. Learn more on Binance.com     In contrast, a downtrend line is drawn from a higher to a lower position in the chart. It connects two or more high points.     So, the difference between the two types of lines is the selection of the points that are used to draw them. In an uptrend, the lines will be drawn using the lowest points in the chart (i.e., candlestick bottoms forming higher lows). On the other hand, downtrend lines are drawn using the highest values (i.e., candlestick tops forming lower highs).   How to use trend lines Based on the highs and lows of a chart, trend lines indicate where the price briefly challenged the prevailing trend, tested it, and then turned back in its favor. The line can then be extended to try and predict important levels in the future. The trend line may be tested several times, but as long as it isn’t broken, it is considered valid. While trend lines can be used in all kinds of data charts, they are usually applied to financial charts (based on market prices). They provide insights into the market supply and demand. Naturally, upward trend lines indicate an increasing buying force (demand is higher than supply). Downward trend lines are associated with consistent price drops, suggesting the opposite (supply is higher than demand). However, the trading volume should also be considered in such analyses. For instance, if the price is increasing, but the volume is decreasing or is relatively low, it may give a false impression of increased demand. As mentioned, trend lines are used to identify support and resistance levels, which are two basic but very important concepts of technical analysis. An uptrend line shows support levels below which the price is unlikely to drop. In contrast, the downtrend line highlights resistance levels above which the price is unlikely to rise. In other words, the market trend may be considered invalid when the support and resistance levels are broken, either to the downside (for an uptrend line) or to the upside (for a downtrend line). In many cases, when these key levels fail to hold the trend, the market tends to change direction. Still, technical analysis is a subjective field, and each person may present a completely different method for drawing trend lines. Thus, it may be worth combining multiple TA techniques, as well as fundamental analysis to reduce risks.   Drawing valid trend lines Technically, trend lines can connect any two points in a chart. But, most chartists agree that using three points or more is what makes a trend line valid. In some cases, the first two points can be used to define a trend in potential, and the third point (extended in the future) can be used to test its validity. So, when the price touches the trend line three or more times without breaching it, the trend can be considered valid. Testing the trend line multiple times indicates that maybe the trend is not a mere coincidence caused by price fluctuations.   Scale settings In addition to choosing enough points to create a valid trend line, it’s important to consider proper settings when drawing them. Among the most important chart settings is the scale settings. In financial charts, the scale relates to the manner in which the change in price is displayed. The two most popular scales are arithmetic and semi-logarithmic (semi-log). On an arithmetic chart, change is expressed evenly as the price moves up or down the Y-axis. In contrast, semi-log charts express variations in terms of percentage.  For example, a price change from $5 to $10 would cover the same distance on an arithmetic chart as one from $120 to $125. On a semi-log chart, however, the 100% gain ($5 to $10) would occupy a much larger portion of the chart, as opposed to the 4% increase of the $120 to $125  move. It’s important to consider the scale settings when drawing trend lines. Each type of chart may result in different highs and lows and, thus, slightly different trend lines.   Closing thoughts While they are useful tools for technical analysis, trend lines are far from foolproof. The choice of points used to draw trend lines will affect the degree to which they accurately represent market cycles and real trends, making them somewhat subjective.  For instance, some chartists draw trend lines based on the body of the candlesticks, disregarding the wicks. Others prefer to draw lines according to the highs and lows of the wicks.  So, it’s important to use trend lines in conjunction with other charting tools and indicators. Notable examples of other TA indicators include the Ichimoku Clouds, Bollinger Bands (BB), MACD, Stochastic RSI, RSI, and moving averages.

Given last week’s strong price action and gold’s intraday resilience, it is now very likely that gold indeed is breaking out of the multi-month consolidation triangle. Actually, this large and symmetrical triangle had been building for more than a year, at least. However, the correction in gold began on August 7th, 2020. Now it looks like the breakout is in process. Typically, traders tend to aggressively buy into such a breakout. And given Friday’s sharp spike higher, it actually looks exactly like this. Hence, expect more volatility and a sharp move higher as the direction of gold’s next move has become more obvious. Please note, that it is rather challenging to draw and determine the correct triangle, because gold has been in a tricky sideways market for such a long time and many trend-lines have been invalidated during this messy period. But at the latest, a weekly close above US$1,875 should confirm the breakout. This should unleash enough energy to push gold prices quickly towards US$1,900 and even US$1,950 within a few weeks. Obviously, that would fit very well with gold’s seasonal cycle, which is bullish until the end of February at least, but often saw gold rallying into mid of march, too. Consumer sentiment at 10-year low but Fed wants to hike and taper From a fundamental perspective, it leaves us speechless how the Fed can go on a hiking rampage while consumer sentiment is at a 10-year low. While the confidence in governments worldwide is collapsing and inflation is spiking higher, raising rates will have zero impact upon supply shortages. Instead, it will make these shortages only worse and bankrupt more companies in the supply chain. Also, it will bankrupt emerging markets, as the strong dollar has already been putting so much pressure on dollar indebted nations and creditors. It’s all a big mess, and we believe there is no way out. That’s why the warmongering industrial and military complex of the US is desperately trying to push Russia into an attack on Ukraine! Without showing any proof, the Biden administration and their mouthpiece “the mainstream media” have been pushing people’s focus on fears that Russia will soon invade Ukraine. Another noteworthy fundamental observation: Gold’s correction began in earnest when Pfizer & Biontech announced their vaccine on November 9th, 2020. In a first reaction, gold immediately sold off $150 on that same day. Many more similar large red daily candles followed over the last 16 months, destroying the confidence of the gold bugs and shifting millions of dollars to the short sellers. Now that more and more very serious questions about the vaccines are debated in the news, it would make sense for gold to run back to US$1,950. This was the level where gold was trading back on November 9th, 2020. Gold in US-Dollar, weekly chart as of February 13th, 2022. Gold in US-Dollar, weekly chart as of February 13th, 2022. On the weekly chart, gold has been slowly but surely progressing into the apex of the triangle over the last few months. It now looks like Gold is breaking out with vengeance. Theoretically, the resistance zone between US$1,850 and US$1,875 could still stop the bullish train. The weekly Bollinger Bands (US$1,864) sits right in this zone and should at least challenge the bulls for some days. However, the weekly stochastic has just given a new buy signal. On top, the oscillator has been making higher lows since March 2021. A measured move out of this triangle could take gold to around US$1,950 to US$1.975 until spring. The monthly Bollinger Band ($1,975) could become the logical target! Overall, the weekly chart is becoming more and more bullish, suggesting that gold can at least move around US$80 to US$100 higher. Gold in US-Dollar, daily chart as of February 13th, 2022. Gold in US-Dollar, daily chart as of February 13th, 2022. On the daily chart, gold has been struggling with the upper triangle resistance in November and January. Each time, the bears managed to push back. Now it looks like the bulls are finally successful. The fierce and sharp pullback two and half weeks ago had created a nice oversold setup which became the launching pad for the ongoing attack. Since then, the slow stochastic has been nicely turning around. This buy signal is still active and has not yet reached the overbought zone. Thanks to Friday’s big green candle, the bulls are now bending the upper Bollinger Band (US$1,858) to the upside. To conclude, the daily chart is bullish, and gold should have more upside. If the bulls continue their attack, we could see prices directly exploding for four to seven days. More likely would be a consolidation. Only with prices below US$1,835 the breakout would have failed. In that rather unlikely case, the picture could quickly turn ugly again. Conclusion: Gold is breaking out! In mid of December, gold made an important low around US$1,752. Back then, most gold bugs had enough and did throw in the towel after a very difficult and messy 16-month correction. Gold, silver and the mining stock had become the most hated asset. But actually, all that gold might have been doing was building an epic base and a launch pad to start the next leg higher within its bull market. Overall, we expect that Gold is breaking out after a short consolidation! The successful breakout above resistance between US$1,850 and US$1,875 should happen within the next few days or weeks. This should then lead to higher prices and gold will likely run towards US$1,950, at least. However, we are not sure yet whether this will also bring an attack towards the round number resistance at US$2,000. Given the fact, that gold usually starts to struggle somewhere in spring, the ongoing rally could still be just a counter-trend move within the larger ongoing consolidation/correction. Hence, we are short-term very bullish, mid-term neutral and long-term very bullish for gold. Feel free to join us in our free Telegram channel for daily real time data and a great community. If you like to get regular updates on our gold model, precious metals and cryptocurrencies you can also subscribe to our free newsletter. Disclosure: Midas Touch Consulting and members of our team are invested in Reyna Gold Corp. These statements are intended to disclose any conflict of interest. They should not be misconstrued as a recommendation to purchase any share. This article and the content are for informational purposes only and do not contain investment advice or recommendations. Every investment and trading move involves risk, and readers should conduct their own research when making a decision. The views, thoughts and opinions expressed here are the author’s alone. They do not necessarily reflect or represent the views and opinions of Midas Touch Consulting. By Florian Grummes|February 13th, 2022|Tags: Gold, Gold Analysis, Gold bullish, gold chartbook, gold fundamentals, precious metals, Reyna Gold, US-Dollar About the Author: Florian Grummes Florian Grummes is an independent financial analyst, advisor, consultant, trader & investor as well as an international speaker with more than 20 years of experience in financial markets. He is specialized in precious metals, cryptocurrencies and technical analysis. He is publishing weekly gold, silver & cryptocurrency analysis for his numerous international readers. He is also running a large telegram Channel and a Crypto Signal Service. Florian is well known for combining technical, fundamental and sentiment analysis into one accurate conclusion about the markets. Since April 2019 he is chief editor of the cashkurs-gold newsletter focusing on gold and silver mining stocks. Besides all that, Florian is a music producer and composer. Since more than 25 years he has been professionally creating, writing & producing more than 300 songs. He is also running his own record label Cryon Music & Art Productions. His artist name is Florzinho.

Aspen Trading’s David Floyd returns for the third week of his Trade Zone guest spot and once again, he’s looking ahead at the new trading week and some of the assets, and more importantly the levels he’s watching as markets open today. This week, the focus is back on the S&P500 after the tremors of a new geopolitical shock to the financial markets emerged on Friday. David also takes a look at some pertinent forex pairs and gives an update on the volatility index as the action ramps up for yet another week. David Floyd is the Founder of Aspen Trading Group. He started his career in the trading industry in 1993. His focus eventually shifted to equities and spent the next years trading on a proprietary equities desk. In 2002, Floyd started Aspen Trading and has grown from a pure prop trading firm into becoming the leading provider of expert FX research and analytics worldwide. With over two decades of expertise in global fundamentals and technical analysis, Floyd has been profiled in RealVision TV, CNBC, and Bloomberg. The post Trade Zone Week Ahead with David Floyd (Aspen Trading): 14th – 18th February appeared first on Eightcap.

The Relative Strength Index Indicator Technical analysis (TA) is, essentially, the practice of examining previous market events as a way to try and predict future trends and price action. From traditional to cryptocurrency markets, most traders rely on specialized tools to perform these analyses, and the RSI is one of them. The Relative Strength Index (RSI) is a TA indicator developed in the late 1970s as a tool that traders could use to examine how a stock is performing over a certain period. It is, basically, a momentum oscillator that measures the magnitude of price movements as well as the speed (velocity) of these movements. The RSI can be a very helpful tool depending on the trader profile and their trading setup. The Relative Strength Index indicator was created by J. Welles Wilder in 1978. It was presented in his book New Concepts in Technical Trading Systems, along with other TA indicators, such as the Parabolic SAR, the Average True Range (ATR), and the Average Directional Index (ADX). Before becoming a technical analyst, Wilder worked as a mechanical engineer and real estate developer. He started trading stocks around 1972 but wasn't very successful. A few years later, Wilder compiled his trading research and experience into mathematical formulas and indicators that were later adopted by many traders around the world. The book was produced in only six months, and despite dating back to the 1970s, it is still a reference to many chartists and traders today. Learn more on Binance.com   How does the RSI indicator work?  By default, the RSI measures the changes in an asset's price over 14 periods (14 days on daily charts, 14 hours on hourly charts, and so on). The formula divides the average gain the price has had over that time by the average loss it has sustained and then plots data on a scale from 0 to 100.  As mentioned, the RSI is a momentum indicator, which is a type of technical trading tool that measures the rate at which the price (or data) is changing. When momentum increases and the price is rising, it indicates that the stock is being actively bought in the market. If momentum increases to the downside, it is a sign that the selling pressure is increasing. The RSI is also an oscillating indicator that makes it easier for traders to spot overbought or oversold market conditions. It evaluates the asset price on a scale of 0 to 100, considering the 14 periods. While an RSI score of 30 or less suggests that the asset is probably close to its bottom (oversold), a measurement above 70 indicates that the asset price is probably near its high (overbought) for that period. Although the default settings for RSI is 14 periods, traders may choose to modify it in order to increase sensitivity (fewer periods) or decrease sensitivity (more periods). Therefore, a 7-day RSI is more sensitive to price movements than one that considers 21 days. Moreover, short-term trading setups may adjust the RSI indicator to consider 20 and 80 as oversold and overbought levels (instead of 30 and 70), so it is less likely to provide false signals.   How to use RSI based on divergences Besides the RSI scores of 30 and 70 - which may suggest potentially oversold and overbought market conditions - traders also make use of the RSI to try and predict trend reversals or to spot support and resistance levels. Such an approach is based on the so-called bullish and bearish divergences. A bullish divergence is a condition where the price and the RSI scores move in opposite directions. So, the RSI score rises and creates higher lows while the price falls, creating lower lows. This is called a "bullish" divergence and indicates that the buying force is getting stronger despite the price downtrend. In contrast, bearish divergences may indicate that despite a rise in price, the market is losing momentum. Therefore, the RSI score drops and creates lower highs while the asset price increases and creates higher highs. Keep in mind, however, that RSI divergences are not that reliable during strong market trends. This means that a strong downtrend may present many bullish divergences before the actual bottom is finally reached. Because of that, RSI divergences are better suited for less volatile markets (with sideways movements or subtle trends).   Closing thoughts There are several important factors to consider when using the Relative Strength Index indicator, such as the settings, the score (30 and 70), and the bullish/bearish divergences. However, one should always keep in mind that no technical indicator is 100% efficient - especially if it is used alone. Therefore, traders should consider using the RSI indicator along with other indicators in order to avoid false signals.

The strengthening of the ruble was interrupted on Friday as geopolitical factors again came to the forefront, pushing aside the fundamental and long-term factors that supported the ruble. The Bank of Russia did everything in its power to support the Russian currency: the rate was raised by 100 points to 9.5%, investors were warned of further increases, and the pause in foreign currency purchases for the Finance Ministry was extended. Nevertheless, before the weekend, investors again preferred to reduce the risks of owning Russian assets against the background of the fact that several Foreign Ministries of different countries called on their citizens to leave Ukraine. For the markets, this is a signal that a new round of geopolitical tensions and the negotiations in the outgoing week did not bring the long-awaited agreement. Against the backdrop of news about geopolitics, the RTS index lost more than 4.6%, and the Moscow Exchange fell by 3%. It seems that the Russian market will have to experience the convulsions of geopolitics more than once for at least another week. Fixing the ruble above 76.40 per dollar and 86.60 per euro will mean that the period of corrective rollback of the ruble has come to an end, and we need to prepare for a new wave of growth. But this is from the standpoint of technical analysis. In practice, geopolitics now rules the roost, where détente can be as fast as escalation. At the same time, fundamental factors (high rates of the Central Bank, expensive oil, and a pause in foreign currency purchases) continue to play on the side of the ruble. These factors promise to return the ruble to the path of growth very quickly, repeating the dynamics of the previous two weeks. If we are right, then the ruble may remain in an upward trend until the end of February, rushing to the area of 71 per dollar and 83 per euro by the end of the month.

Technical analysis (TA) is nothing new in the world of trading and investing. From traditional portfolios to cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin and Ethereum, the use of TA indicators has a simple goal: use existing data to make more informed decisions that will likely lead to desired outcomes. As markets grow increasingly more complicated, the last decades have produced hundreds of different types of TA indicators, but few have seen the popularity and consistent usage of moving averages (MA). Although there are different variations of moving averages, their underlying purpose is to drive clarity in trading charts. This is done by smoothing out the graphs to create an easily decipherable trend indicator. Because these moving averages rely on past data, they are considered to be lagging or trend following indicators. Regardless, they still have great power to cut through the noise and help determine where a market may be heading.   Different types of moving averages There are various different types of moving averages that can be utilized by traders not only in day trading and swing trading but also in longer-term setups. Despite the various types, the MAs are most commonly broken down into two separate categories: simple moving averages (SMA) and exponential moving averages (EMA). Depending on the market and desired outcome, traders can choose which indicator will most likely benefit their setup.   The simple moving average The SMA takes data from a set period of time and produces the average price of that security for the data set. The difference between an SMA and a basic average of the past prices is that with SMA, as soon as a new data set is entered, the oldest data set is disregarded. So if the simple moving average calculates the mean based on 10 days worth of data, the entire data set is constantly being updated to only include the last 10 days. It's important to note that all data inputs in an SMA are weighted equally, regardless of how recently they were inputted. Traders who believe that there's more relevance to the newest data available often state that the equal weighting of the SMA is detrimental to the technical analysis. The exponential moving average (EMA) was created to address this problem.   The exponential moving average EMAs are similar to SMAs in that they provide technical analysis based on past price fluctuations. However, the equation is a bit more complicated because an EMA assigns more weight and value to the most recent price inputs. Although both averages have value and are widely used, the EMA is more responsive to sudden price fluctuations and reversals. Because EMAs are more likely to project price reversals faster than SMAs, they are often especially favored by traders who are engaged in short-term trading. It is important for a trader or investor to choose the type of moving average according to his personal strategies and goals, adjusting the settings accordingly.   How to use moving averages Because MAs utilize past prices instead of current prices, they have a certain period of lag. The more expansive the data set is, the larger the lag will be. For example, a moving average that analyzes the past 100 days will respond more slowly to new information than an MA that only considers the past 10 days. That's simply because a new entry into a larger dataset will have a smaller effect on the overall numbers. Both can be advantageous depending on the trading setup. Larger data sets benefit long-term investors because they are less likely to be greatly altered due to one or two large fluctuations. Short-term traders often favor a smaller data set that allows for more reactionary trading. Within traditional markets, MAs of 50, 100 and 200 days are the most commonly used. The 50-day and the 200-day moving averages are closely watched by stock traders and any breaks above or below these lines are usually regarded as important trading signals, especially when they are followed by crossovers. The same applies to cryptocurrency trading but due to its 24/7 volatile markets, the MA settings and trading strategy may vary according to the trader profile.   Crossover signals Naturally, a rising MA suggests an upward trend and a falling MA indicates a downtrend. However, a moving average alone is not a really reliable and strong indicator. Therefore, MAs are constantly used in combination to spot bullish and bearish crossover signals. A crossover signal is created when two different MAs crossover in a chart. A bullish crossover (also known as a golden cross) happens when the short-term MA crosses above a long-term one, suggesting the start of an upward trend. In contrast, a bearish crossover (or death cross) happens when a short-term MA crosses below a long-term moving average, which indicates the beginning of a downtrend.    Other factors worth considering The examples so far have all been in terms of days, but that's not a necessary requirement when analyzing MAs. Those engaged in day trading may be much more interested in how an asset has performed over the past two or three hours, not two or three months. Different time frames can all be plugged into the equations used to calculate moving averages, and as long as those time frames are consistent with the trading strategy, the data can be useful. One major downside of MAs is their lag time. Since MAs are lagging indicators that consider previous price action, the signals are often too late. For instance, a bullish crossover may suggest a buy, but it may only happen after a significant rise in price.  This means that even if the uptrend continues, potential profit may have been lost in that period between the rise in price and the crossover signal. Or even worse, a false golden cross signal may lead a trader to buy the local top just before a price drop. These fake buy signals are usually referred to as a bull trap.   Closing thoughts Moving Averages are powerful TA indicators and one of the most widely used. The ability to analyze market trends in a data-driven manner provides great insight into how a market is performing. Keep in mind, however, that MAs and crossover signals should not be used alone and it is always safer to combine different TA indicators in order to avoid fake signals.

I've been paying close attention to Bonds as the global markets react to rising inflation and global central bank moves recently. The US Federal Reserve has yet to take any actions to raise rates, but we all know it will come at some point. Longer-term bonds are acting as if these risks are much more subdued than many traders/investors believe – which has me questioning if global central banks have overplayed the stimulus game? Why would traditional safe-haven assets fail to act in a manner that reflects current market risks like they would typically do? Why have precious metals failed to reflect these risks also properly? Is there something brewing in traders' minds that are muting or mitigating these traditional safe-haven assets? Bonds Continue To Slide After COVID Rally This table, reflecting the recent downward trend in Bonds, highlights the weakened safe-haven tendencies. These assets would generally present with rampant inflation and the possibility of multiple Fed rate increases. (Source: SeekingAlpha.com) Increasing uncertainty throughout the globe, and as inflation climbs to the highest levels since the mid-1970s and 1980s, – “where's the beef?” (to reference a 1980s Wendy's commercial phrase). This TLT Weekly chart shows how risks climbed when COVID hit in February 2020. Yet, take a look at how price has consolidated below $156 and has continued to trend lower over the past six months. After a brief move higher, to levels near the $147 to $155 level, TLT has moved decidedly lower over the past 6+ months. This downward price trend illustrates the diminishing fear levels as traders piled into the post-COVID rally phase. This move suggests traders believe inflation may be temporary or that the US Federal Reserve has room to raise rates without disrupting the global economy. I think the current premise and price trend in TLT vastly underestimates the amount of disruption a series of Fed rate hikes would cause the international markets. The US Federal Reserve will likely consider all options before taking an aggressive move to raise rates. Additionally, the US Fed may decide to allow foreign central banks to move more aggressively to raise rates while it decides to take a more measured approach to inflation. The key to future rate increases is how supply chains open up and how consumers continue to engage in economic activities. Any sudden shift by consumers, or further disruptions in supply for manufacturing and consumer staples/discretionary items, could prompt the Fed into taking aggressive actions. From where the Fed Funds Rates currently are, a move above 0.50% would reflect a +500% rate increase. This may prompt some type of “pop” in certain asset bubbles. (Source: St. Louis Fed) Traders should stay keenly focused on market risks and Bond levels throughout 2022 into 2023 as any sudden shift away from current trends could spell trouble. Right now, Bonds are pricing in minimal risks – which may be a mistake. The market dynamics and trends are changing from what we have experienced over the past 40 years for stocks and bonds. The 60/40 portfolio is costing you money now, and bonds can’t keep up with inflation and are more or less yield-less. The only way to navigate the financial markets safely, no matter the direction, is through technical analysis. By following assets and money flows, we identify trend changes and move our capital into whatever index, sector, industry, bond, commodity, country, and even currency ETF. By following the money, you become part of new emerging trends and can profit during weak stock or bond conditions. What Trading Strategies Will Help You To Navigate Current Market Trends? Learn how I use specific tools to help me understand price cycles, set-ups, and price target levels in various sectors to identify strategic entry and exit points for trades. Over the next 12 to 24+ months, I expect very large price swings in the US stock market and other asset classes across the globe. I believe the markets are starting to transition away from the continued central bank support rally phase. This may start a revaluation phase as global traders attempt to identify the next big trends. Precious Metals will likely start to act as a proper hedge as caution and concern start to drive traders/investors into Metals. I invite you to learn more about how my three Technical Trading Strategies can help you protect and grow your wealth in any type of market condition by clicking the following link:   www.TheTechnicalTraders.com 

David Floyd is the Founder of Aspen Trading Group. He started his career in the trading industry in 1993. His focus eventually shifted to equities and spent the next years trading on a proprietary equities desk. In 2002, Floyd started Aspen Trading and has grown from a pure prop trading firm into becoming the leading provider of expert FX research and analytics worldwide. With over two decades of expertise in global fundamentals and technical analysis, Floyd has been profiled in RealVision TV, CNBC, and Bloomberg. Important Data Releases & Events this Week Tuesday EUR ECB President Lagarde Speaks JPY GDP AUD RBA Meeting Minutes Wednesday USD PPI GBP CPI Thursday USD Core Retail Sales, Retail Sales CAD Core CPI OIL Crude Oil Inventories USD FOMC Meeting Minutes CAD Employment Change Friday USD Initial Jobless Claims GBP Retail Sales Saturday CAD Core Retail Sales (Times adapted to AEDT timezone) The post Trade Zone Week Ahead with David Floyd (Aspen Trading): 21st – 25th February appeared first on Eightcap.

Even at the last important low (US$$1,750) on December 15th, 2021, the sentiment was still awful as the sector had become the most hated asset class. Now fast-forward, gold has been successfully breaking out of its multi month triangle and keeps sprinting higher. The bulls currently are bending the daily and weekly Bollinger Bands to the upside, and seasonality is still supportive.Gold in US-Dollar, weekly chart as of February 20th, 2022.Gold in US-Dollar, weekly chart as of February 20th, 2022.Looking at the weekly chart, it appears that gold not only broke out of a triangle consolidation pattern, but also out of a large inverse head and shoulder pattern. It’s not a textbook head and shoulder, but worthwhile noting. A measured move projection could theoretically take gold towards US$2,125! However, the monthly Bollinger Band, sitting at around US$ 1,975, might be a much more realistic target for the ongoing move. As you might remember, the zone between US$1,950 to US$1,975 is very strong resistance. We would not rule out a short-lived overshoot towards US$,2000, though.Overall, the weekly chart is not yet overbought and looks bullish. Hence, the rally has very good chances to continue for a few more weeks.Gold in US-Dollar, daily chart as of February 20th, 2022.Gold in US-Dollar, daily chart as of February 20th, 2022.As expected, the breakout above US$1,840 to US$1,850 has unleashed enough energy to quickly push gold prices towards the round psychological number of US$1,900. Fortunately, the daily stochastic has transformed its overboughtness into the rare “embedded status”, where both signal lines are sitting above 80 for more than three days in a row. Hence, the uptrend is locked-in and shorting this market would be fighting the uptrend.Of course, given the uncertain and complex geopolitical situation, events can and likely will strongly influence gold over the coming days and weeks. Speaking from a technical point of you, any pullback towards the breakout zone around US$1,845 would be a buying opportunity. However, prices below US$1,875 would already be a surprise in the short-term. On the contrary, it’s much more likely that gold will continue its run to at least US$1,930 over the coming days.In summary, the daily chart is bullish. Especially the bullish embedded stochastic oscillator likely will not allow any larger pullback, but rather a consolidation around US$1,900. Watch those two signal lines. Only if one of them would be dropping below 80on a daily close, the bull run might be over!GDX (VanEck Gold Miners ETF) in US-Dollar, daily chart as of February 20th, 2022.GDX, daily chart as of February 20th, 2022.Gold & gold related mining stocks often stabilize your portfolio during uncertain times and do act as a hedge. While the stock market continued its dive due to the crisis in Ukraine and the potential interest rate turnaround in the US, the GDX VanEck Gold Miners ETF is up more than 21.5% since its low in mid of December. Over the last two weeks, the leading gold mining stocks recorded some of their best days in the last 12 months. Last week, Barrick Gold ($GOLD) jumped up more than 7% due to good earnings, a dividend increase, and a new share repurchase program. Some smaller gold stocks like Sabina Gold & Silver ($SGSVF) went up even more (+15% Friday, 11th).Now that gold is on the rise, it’s time for the beaten down and undervalued mining stocks to catch up. Usually, it starts with the big senior produces like Barrick Gold, Agnico Eagle Mines ($AEM) and Newmont Corporation ($NEM), then the juniors like for example Victoria Gold Corp. ($VITFF) join and finally, the explorer and developers literally explode higher.However, the GDX has nearly reached its downtrend line as well as the 38.2% retracement of the whole corrective wave since August 2020. Hence, the big miners are running into string resistance and might need to consolidate soon.At the same time, note, that silver has been lagging. Silver always lags most of the time, but in the final stage of sector wide rally it suddenly passes all the other metals and shots up nearly vertically. That also typically is the sign that the rally in the sector is coming to an end. Obviously, we have not yet seen any strong silver days. Therefore, silver actually confirms that the sector has more room and time to run higher!Conclusion: Bullish momentum remains strongOverall, gold continues to look promising here as the bullish momentum remains strong. Hence, Gold is probably on the way towards US$1,950 and US$1,975, with a slight chance for an overshot to US$2,000. But of course, given the rather overbought daily chart, the risk/reward is not that good anymore. Silver and many of the smaller mining stocks, however, might still offer a chance to play the ongoing rally over the next few weeks. Once gold tops out in spring, expect a big pullback. Maybe even back towards the higher trending 200-day moving average (currently at US$1,808) at some point in midsummer. But that is all somewhere in the future. For now, the bullish momentum remains strong.Feel free to join us in our free Telegram channel for daily real time data and a great community. If you like to get regular updates on our gold model, precious metals and cryptocurrencies you can also subscribe to our free newsletter.Disclosure: Midas Touch Consulting and members of our team are invested in Reyna Gold Corp. These statements are intended to disclose any conflict of interest. They should not be misconstrued as a recommendation to purchase any share. This article and the content are for informational purposes only and do not contain investment advice or recommendations. Every investment and trading move involves risk, and readers should conduct their own research when making a decision. The views, thoughts and opinions expressed here are the author’s alone. They do not necessarily reflect or represent the views and opinions of Midas Touch Consulting.By Florian Grummes|February 20th, 2022|Tags: $GDXJ, Barrick Gold, GDX, Gold, Gold Analysis, Gold bullish, gold chartbook, gold fundamentals, Newmont Corporation, precious metals, Reyna Gold, Sabina Gold & Silver, Silver, silver bull, US-Dollar, Victoria Gold|0 CommentsAbout the Author: Florian GrummesFlorian Grummes is an independent financial analyst, advisor, consultant, trader & investor as well as an international speaker with more than 20 years of experience in financial markets. He is specialized in precious metals, cryptocurrencies and technical analysis. He is publishing weekly gold, silver & cryptocurrency analysis for his numerous international readers. He is also running a large telegram Channel and a Crypto Signal Service. Florian is well known for combining technical, fundamental and sentiment analysis into one accurate conclusion about the markets. Since April 2019 he is chief editor of the cashkurs-gold newsletter focusing on gold and silver mining stocks. Besides all that, Florian is a music producer and composer. Since more than 25 years he has been professionally creating, writing & producing more than 300 songs. He is also running his own record label Cryon Music & Art Productions. His artist name is Florzinho.

We begin to wrap up David Floyd’s coverage of the Eightcap Trade Zone this February, as he tackles this week’s trading week ahead and notes the levels we should be taking note of as markets open today. If you trade the S&P500, or have an interest in Forex pairs you won’t want to miss his latest insight! David Floyd is the Founder of Aspen Trading Group. He started his career in the trading industry in 1993. His focus eventually shifted to equities and spent the next years trading on a proprietary equities desk. In 2002, Floyd started Aspen Trading and has grown from a pure prop trading firm into becoming the leading provider of expert FX research and analytics worldwide. With over two decades of expertise in global fundamentals and technical analysis, Floyd has been profiled in RealVision TV, CNBC, and Bloomberg. Important Data Releases & Events this Week Monday EUR Manufacturing PMIs from Germany, France and Eurozone USD Bank holiday in observance of US Presidents’ Day GBP Manufacturing and Services PMI from UK Tuesday EUR German Ifo Business USD Consumer Confidence (CB), Flash Services and Manufacturing PMIs and S&P/CS House Price Index Wednesday NZD RBNZ Interest Rate Decision, Rate Statement and Press Conference Friday USD Preliminary GDP, unemployment claims and new home sales GBP BOE Gov Bailey speaks EUR ECB President Lagarde speaks Saturday USD Fed Monetary Policy Report The post Trade Zone Week Ahead with David Floyd (Aspen Trading): 21st – 25th February appeared first on Eightcap.

The Swing Overview – Week 7 Macroeconomic events last week had a secondary impact on market volatility. The "big story" that is currently moving the markets is the situation in Ukraine. Equity indices weakened and retested their strong supports. Last week's winner, on the other hand, is the gold, which, due to these geopolitical uncertainties, surprisingly strengthened to USD 1,900 per ounce, where it last traded in June 2021.   Macroeconomic data from the US  US industrial inflation on an annual basis came in at 9.7%, up from 9.8% in the previous month. This is the first decline in industrial inflation since April 2020. Retail sales reported very strong data, rising 3.8% in January (previous month was down 2.5%).  In the labor market, there was an unexpected increase in initial jobless claims of 248k (expectations were for a 219k increase). FOMC meeting minutes released on Wednesday did not indicate that the Fed was seriously considering a 0.50% rate hike in March. This gave the markets and risk currencies a temporary boost, but the main driver of the markets last week was the situation in Ukraine. Geopolitical tensions in Ukraine Last week Friday, when Jake Sullivan, the White House national security adviser, warned that Russia could attack Ukraine "any day now", sent stock indices into the red and investors focused on so-called "save havens" such as the US bonds and the gold, which rallied strongly. In contrast, commodity currencies, stock indices and cryptocurrencies, which are seen as risky assets, weakened. This suggests what might happen if an invasion actually took place. At the moment, however, both sides seem to be open to diplomatic solution of the crisis. This brings some relief and cautious optimism even though further developments are unclear.  Let’s have a look at how the US bond yields are reacting to the situation: Figure 1: 10 year government bond yield on the 4H chart and the USD index on the daily chart Demand for these bonds has been rising as investors view the US government bonds as a "save haven" in times of uncertainty. This increases the price of these bonds. Since there is an inverse relationship between the price of bonds and their interest yield, a rise in the price of bonds then pushes down their yields. This explains why the yield on these bonds fell on Friday last week as a result of the news of a possible Russian attack.   Overall, however, yields on these bonds continue to rise as investors anticipate a rise in the US interest rates. This in turn has had a negative effect on the technology stocks in the NASDAQ index in particular.   NASDAQ a SP500 Figure 2: The US NASDAQ index on H4 and D1 chart The NASDAQ started last week on Friday with a significant decline as the other indices.  Then there was a correction of this decline as news emerged that Russia was withdrawing some of its troops from the Ukrainian border and that military exercises were over. However, the next report was that the US was not seeing any change at the border with Ukraine and the NASDAQ index fell again. The current situation is that both sides have agreed to further negotiations.  It can be seen from this how sensitive the indices are to such news. We therefore recommend that our clients keep an eye on any breaking news that emerges in relation to the situation in Ukraine.  The nearest resistance according to the H4 chart is at 14,606 - 14,673. The next resistance is then 15050 - 15100.  Support according to the H4 chart is at 14,050 - 14,100.  Significant support according to the daily chart is at 13,750-13,950.  As for the US SP 500 index, the situation is similar here.   Figure 3: SP 500 on H4 and D1 chart The nearest resistance is at 4,471 – 4,491. The next strong resistance is in the area at 4,580 - 4,600.  Support according to the H4 chart is at 4,357 – 4,367. According to the daily chart, significant support is at 4,225 - 4,300.   German DAX index Germany reported ZEW economic sentiment, which came in at 54.3 (previous month 51.7). This indicates an improving outlook for the German economy over the next six months. However, this index was under pressure last week as were the US indices.  Figure 4: The DAX on H4 and daily chart  On February 14, the index fell to 14,841, where the previous support is. The zone of this strong support according to the daily chart is quite wide: 14,800 - 15,000. The nearest resistance according to the H4 chart is 15,440 - 15,530. The next resistance then immediately follows this zone and is in the 15 534 - 15 617 range.   The EUR/USD under pressure The EURUSD has shown that in times of political uncertainty, this pair tends to weaken. The decline was justified in terms of technical analysis by the false break of the resistance, which is in the area of 1.1465 - 1.1480. Figure 5: EURUSD on H4 and daily chart The nearest resistance according to the H4 chart is in the area of 1.1380 - 1.1400. Support according to the H4 chart is at 1.1280 - 1.1300. Very strong support according to the daily chart is then at 1.1120 - 1.1140.   The Gold The gold surprised last week with unexpected strength based on the situation around Ukraine. News that Russia may attack Ukraine any day has caused the gold price to rise. It eventually reached $1,900 per troy ounce, where it last traded in June 2021.  Figure 6: The gold on the H4 and D1 chart The nearest resistance according to the daily chart is USD 1,900 - 1,916 per troy ounce of gold.  The nearest support is 1,872 - 1,878. The most significant support is then at 1 845 - 1 852 USD per troy ounce. Once geopolitical tensions calm down and US government bond yields continue to rise, this should be negative news for gold. 

Bitcoin, best in play   The Covid environment brought an additional variant risk factor to the table, especially when it comes to investor psychology. Our last weekly chart book publication made a case for positioning one’s risk hedge plays this year when equity markets most likely trade in a volatile sideways range. We also spoke of a proper wealth preservation strategy, holding both bitcoin and gold within a hedged risk reduction approach for your monies. With our primary focus on risk, the next question is allocation size between bitcoin and gold. As mentioned in the intro, it feels intuitively natural to have significant exposure to the gold side from a cycle history. Yet, insurance seems essential at this time, and as such, we tend to be a bit more aggressive towards bitcoin allocations. Bitcoin, daily chart, not just yet: Bitcoin, daily chart as of February 22nd, 2022. The daily chart reflects the common notion of bitcoin trading alongside PMI numbers and the market as a whole. With the recent break of the modest bounce from the US$33,500 level up leg (yellow up-channel), no immediate low-risk entries for longer-term exposure seems in play.   Bitcoin, weekly chart, great setup, bitcoin, best in play: Bitcoin, weekly chart as of February 22nd, 2022. Nevertheless, we find now zooming out to the weekly time frame a quite interesting entry zone (white box) between the levels US$30,000 to US$34,000. We identified by stacking multiple edges that an entry near US$31,800 would provide the most low-risk entry profile. However, it will depend on how prices will arrive at these levels. As such, we encourage you to check back in our free Telegram channel.  There we post-entries, and exits for educational purposes in real-time. Bitcoin, monthly chart, amazing potential: Bitcoin, monthly chart as of February 22nd, 2022. Where matters become more transparent, and our headlines supported, is at a view of the monthly chart. The first leg up was nothing short of a 1,600% advancement. Now we have been trading for a year in a bullish up sloping sideways channel. With a possible entry at the lows of this channel, a long-term investment provides for a stellar risk/reward-ratio. The second legs are typically longer than the first legs! But that is not all; bitcoin has a higher probability of four-leg moves versus three-leg moves. Consequently, this trade could turn out to be highly profitable after some time. One aspect of risk is the relationship between the size of a potential down move of price and the size of a likely up move. We find bitcoins’ upward potential much more significant than gold for its fundamental characteristics and stellar outperforming history percentagewise. Bitcoin, best in play: Summing it up, bitcoin might not be at its lowest retracement levels yet. Still, its powerful potential in risk/reward-ratio and as an overall risk hedge makes it best in play. We share a low-risk cost averaging in strategy in our free Telegram channel. We find that allocation of funds should be more dominant towards bitcoin. In addition, holding some cash as much as money is deflating can still be a good strategy. Cash is king to purchase desired goods and vehicles, especially when those are even more depressed.    Feel free to join us in our free Telegram channel for daily real time data and a great community. If you like to get regular updates on precious metals and cryptocurrencies, you can also subscribe to our free newsletter. Disclosure: This article and the content are for informational purposes only and do not contain investment advice or recommendations. Every investment and trading move involves risk, and readers should conduct their own research when making a decision. The views, thoughts and opinions expressed here are the author’s alone. They do not necessarily reflect or represent the views and opinions of Midas Touch Consulting. By Korbinian Koller|February 22nd, 2022|Tags: Bitcoin, Bitcoin bounce, bitcoin consolidation, Bitcoin correction, crypto analysis, crypto chartbook, DeFi, Gold, Gold bullish, low risk, NASDAQ, quad exit, S&P 500, technical analysis, trading education|0 Comments

Positions of large speculators according to the COT report as at 15/2/2022 Total net speculator positions in the USD index rose by 1,621 contracts last week. This change is the result of an increase in long positions by 1,979 contracts and an increase in short positions by 358 contracts. Growth in total net speculator positions occurred last week in the euro, the British pound and the New Zealand dollar. Decrease in total net positions occurred in the Australian dollar, the Japanese yen, the Canadian dollar, and the Swiss franc. In the event of a Russian invasion to Ukraine, markets would move into risk-off sentiment. This means that investors would sell risk assets, which include stock indices, and shift their resources into assets that are considered as safe havens in such situations, which include US government bonds and gold. In currency terms, this means that the US dollar, the Japanese yen and the Swiss franc in particular could then appreciate in such a situation. Commodity currencies (especially AUD, NZD) might weaken. The positions of speculators in individual currencies The total net positions of large speculators are shown in table 1: If the value is positive then the large speculators are net long. If the value is negative, the large speculators are net short. Table 1: Total net positions of large speculators Date USD Index EUR GBP AUD NZD JPY CAD CHF Feb 15, 2022 35386 47581 2237 -86694 -9333 -66162 12170 -9715 Feb 08, 2022 33765 38842 -8545 -85741 -10366 -59148 14886 -9399 Feb 01, 2022 34571 29716 -23605 -79829 -11698 -60640 18264 -8239 Jan 25, 2022 36861 31560 -7763 -83273 -10773 -68273 12317 -8796 Jan 18, 2022 36434 24584 -247 -88454 -8331 -80879 7492 -10810 Jan 11, 2022 37892 6005 -29166 -91486 -8604 -87525 -7376 -7660 Note: The explanation of COT methodolody is at the end of this report. Notes: Large speculators are traders who trade large volumes of futures contracts, which, if the set limits are met, must be reported to the Commodity Futures Trading Commission. Typically, this includes traders such as funds or large banks. These traders mostly focus on trading long-term trends and their goal is to make money on speculation with the instrument. ​The total net positions of large speculators are the difference between the number of long contracts and the number of short contracts of large speculators. Positive value shows that large speculators are net long. Negative value shows that large speculators are net short. The data is published every Friday and is delayed because it shows the status on Tuesday of the week. The total net positions of large speculators show the sentiment this group has in the market. A positive value of the total net positions of speculators indicates bullish sentiment, a negative value of total net positions indicates bearish sentiment. When interpreting charts and values, it is important to follow the overall trend of total net positions. The turning points are also very important, i.e. the moments when the total net positions go from a positive value to a negative one and vice versa. Important are also extreme values ​​of total net positions as they often serve as signals of a trend reversal. Sentiment according to the reported positions of large players in futures markets is not immediately reflected in the movement of currency pairs. Therefore, information on sentiment is more likely to be used by traders who take longer trades and are willing to hold their positions for several weeks or even months.   Detailed analysis of selected currencies   Explanations:   Purple line and histogram: this is information on the total net position of large speculators. This information shows the strength and sentiment of an ongoing trend. It is the indicator r_COT Large Speculators (by Kramsken) in www.tradingview.com. Information on the positions of so-called hedgers is not shown in the chart, due to the fact that their main goal is not speculation, but hedging. Therefore, this group usually takes the opposite positions than the large speculators. For this reason, the positions of hedgers are inversely correlated with the movement of the price of the underlying asset. However, this inverse correlation shows the ongoing trend less clearly than the position of large speculators.​ We show moving average SMA 100 (blue line) and EMA 50 (orange line) on daily charts. ​Charts are made with the use of www.tradingview.com. The source of numerical data is www.myfxbook.com Euro   date Open Interest Specs Long Specs Short Specs Net positions change Open Interest change Long change Short change Net Positions Sentiment Feb 15, 2022 702047 217899 170318 47581 1949 -1074 -9813 8739 Bullish Feb 08, 2022 700098 218973 180131 38842 14667 5410 -3716 9126 Bullish Feb 01, 2022 685431 213563 183847 29716 2479 155 1999 -1844 Weak bullish Jan 25, 2022 682952 213408 181848 31560 -8930 1507 -5469 6976 Bullish Jan 18, 2022 691882 211901 187317 24584 9589 7540 -11039 18579 Bullish Jan 11, 2022 682293 204361 198356 6005 4075 5288 -2271 7559 Bullish         Total change 23829 18826 -30309 49135     Figure 1: The euro and COT positions of large speculators on a weekly chart and the EURUSD on D1 The total net positions of speculators reached 47,581 contracts last week, up by 8,739 contracts compared to the previous week. This change is due to a decrease in long positions by 1,074 contracts and a decrease in short positions by 9,813 contracts. Total net speculators positions have increased by 49,135 contracts over the past 6 weeks. This change is due to speculators closing 30,309 short positions and adding 18,826 long positions. This data suggests continued bullish sentiment for the euro. However, the rising open interest, which increased by 1,949 contracts in the last week, shows the opposite, as the euro fell down last week and this decline is supported by the rising number of open interest contracts. So more bearish traders were in the market. So we have conflicting information here. The euro weakened slightly last week on fears of an escalation of the conflict between Russia and Ukraine. Long-term resistance: 1.1461 – 1.15 Support: 1.1280 - 1.1300. Next support is near 1.1220 - 1.1240. A strong support is in 1.1120-1.1140. The British Pound   date Open Interest Specs Long Specs Short Specs Net positions change Open Interest change Long change Short change Net Positions Sentiment Feb 15, 2022 195302 50151 47914 2237 -2646 5442 -5340 10782 Bullish Feb 08, 2022 197948 44709 53254 -8545 13941 15112 52 15060 Weak bearish Feb 01, 2022 184007 29597 53202 -23605 1967 -7069 8773 -15842 Bearish Jan 25, 2022 182040 36666 44429 -7763 -1194 -3094 4422 -7516 Bearish Jan 18, 2022 183234 39760 40007 -247 -17259 9254 -19665 28919 Weak bearish Jan 11, 2022 200493 30506 59672 -29166 486 4526 -5479 10005 Weak bearish         Total change -4705 24171 -17237 41408     Figure 2: The GBP and COT positions of large speculators on a weekly chart and the GBPUSD on D1 The total net positions of speculators reached 2,237 contracts last week, up by 10,782 contracts compared to the previous week. This change is due to an increase in long positions of 5,442 contracts and a decrease in short positions of 5,340 contracts. Total net positions have increased by 41,408 contracts over the past 6 weeks. This change is due to speculators exiting 17,237 short positions and adding 24,171 long positions. This data suggests bullish sentiment for the pound. Open interest, which fell by 2,646 contracts last week, is indicating that the bullish price action that occurred in the pound last week was not supported by volume and therefore it is weak. Risk off sentiment in US equities could have a negative effect on the Pound as well as the Euro, which could then send the Pound towards support which is at 1.3380. Long-term resistance: 1.3620-1.3640. Next resistance is near 1.3680 – 1.3750. Support: 1.3490 – 1.3520. A next support is near 1.3320 – 1.3380 and then mainly in the zone near 1.3200. The Australian dollar   Date Open Interest Specs Long Specs Short Specs Net positions change Open Interest change Long change Short change Net Positions Sentiment Feb 15, 2022 192578 11692 98386 -86694 -3825 -5631 -4678 -953 Bearish Feb 08, 2022 196403 17323 103064 -85741 -510 -1512 4400 -5912 Bearish Feb 01, 2022 196913 18835 98664 -79829 6893 3714 270 3444 Weak bearish Jan 25, 2022 190020 15121 98394 -83273 8884 6070 889 5181 Weak bearish Jan 18, 2022 181136 9051 97505 -88454 -4317 -3332 -6364 3032 Weak bearish Jan 11, 2022 185453 12383 103869 -91486 5346 -249 1871 -2120 Bearish         Total change 12471 -940 -3612 2672     Figure 3: The AUD and COT positions of large speculators on a weekly chart and the AUDUSD on D1 Total net speculator positions last week reached -86,694 contracts, down 953 contracts from the previous week. This change is due to a decrease in long positions of 5,631 contracts and a decrease in short positions of 4,678 contracts. This data suggests continued bearish sentiment on the Australian dollar, which is confirmed by the downtrend. Total net positions have increased by 2,672 contracts over the past 6 weeks. This change is due to speculators exit of 3,612 short contracts while exiting 940 long contracts at the same time. However, last week saw a decrease in open interest of 3,825 contracts. This means that the upward price action that occurred last week was weak in terms of volume because new money did not flow into the market. The Australian dollar is very sensitive to the international geopolitical situation. If the conflict between Russia and Ukraine escalates, we can expect it to weaken especially on the AUDUSD pair and also the AUDJPY. Long-term resistance: 0.7200-0.7250 and especially near 0.7270-0.7310. Long-term support: 0.7085-0.7120. A strong support is near 0.6960 – 0.6990. The New Zealand dollar   Date Open Interest Specs Long Specs Short Specs Net positions Change Open Interest Change Long Change Short Change Net Positions Sentiment Feb 15, 2022 64105 24923 34256 -9333 9228 7755 6722 1033 Weak bearish Feb 08, 2022 54877 17168 27534 -10366 -3590 -2037 -3369 1332 Weak bearish Feb 01, 2022 58467 19205 30903 -11698 5151 3257 4182 -925 Bearish Jan 25, 2022 53316 15948 26721 -10773 8589 4336 6778 -2442 Bearish Jan 18, 2022 44727 11612 19943 -8331 2661 652 379 273 Weak bearish Jan 11, 2022 42066 10960 19564 -8604 1764 1543 1302 241 Weak bearish         Celková změna 23803 15506 15994 -488     Figure 4: The NZD and the position of large speculators on a weekly chart and the NZDUSD on D1 The total net positions of speculators reached a negative value last week - 9,333 contracts, having increased by 1,033 contracts compared to the previous week. This change is due to an increase in long positions by 7,755 contracts and an increase in short positions by 6,722 contracts. This data suggests that the bearish sentiment for the New Zealand Dollar continues, but has started to weaken over the past week. Total net positions have declined by 488 contracts over the past 6 weeks. This change is due to speculators adding 15,994 short positions and adding 15,506 long positions. Open interest rose significantly last week, increasing by 9,228 contracts. The rise in the NZDUSD price action that occurred last week is therefore supported by volume and therefore the move was strong. The reason for the NZD strengthening last week is that the Reserve Bank of New Zealand is likely to raise interest rates to 1% on Feb 23, 2022. However, if the conflict in Ukraine escalates further, the NZDUSD could more likely weaken. The reason for the NZDUSD's decline from a technical analysis perspective could also be that the NZDUSD price has reached horizontal resistance and also the upper downtrend line from the daily chart. Long-term resistance: 0.6700 – 0.6740 and then 0.6850 – 0.6890. Long-term support: 0.6590-0.6600 and the next support is at 0.6500 – 0.6530. Explanation to the COT report The COT report shows the positions of major participants in the futures markets. Futures contracts are derivatives and are essentially agreements between two parties to exchange an underlying asset for a predetermined price on a predetermined date. They are standardised, specifying the quality and quantity of the underlying asset. They are traded on an exchange so that the total volume of these contracts traded is known.   Open interest: open interest is the sum of all open futures contracts (i.e. the sum of short and long contracts) that exist on a given asset. OI increases when a new futures contract is created by pairing a buyer with a seller. The OI decreases when an existing futures contract expires at a given expiry time or by settlement. Low or no open interest means that there is no interest in the market. High open interest indicates high activity and traders pay attention to this market. A rising open interest indicates that there is demand for the currency. That is, a rising OI indicates a strong current trend. Conversely, a weakening open interest indicates that the current trend is not strong. Open Interest Price action Interpretation Notes Rising Rising Strong bullish market New money flow in the particular asset, more bulls entered the market which pushes the price up. The trend is strong. Rising Falling Strong bearish market Price falls, more bearish traders entered the market which pushes the price down. The trend is strong. Falling Rising Weak bullish market Price is going up but new money do not flow into the market. Existing futures contracts expire or are closed. The trend is weak. Falling Falling Weak bearish market Price is going down, but new money do not flow into the market. Existing futures expire or are closed, the trend is weak.   Large speculators are traders who trade large volumes of futures contracts, which, if the set limits are met, must be reported to the Commodity Futures Trading Commission. Typically, this includes traders such as funds or large banks. These traders mostly focus on trading long-term trends and their goal is to make money on speculation with the instrument. Traders should try to trade in the direction of these large speculators. The total net positions of large speculators are the difference between the number of long contracts and the number of short contracts of large speculators. Positive value shows that large speculators are net long. Negative value shows that large speculators are net short. The data is published every Friday and is delayed because it shows the status on Tuesday of the week. The total net positions of large speculators show the sentiment this group has in the market. A positive value of the total net positions of speculators indicates bullish sentiment, a negative value of total net positions indicates bearish sentiment. When interpreting charts and values, it is important to follow the overall trend of total net positions. The turning points are also very important, i.e. the moments when the total net positions go from a positive value to a negative one and vice versa. Important are also extreme values ​​of total net positions as they often serve as signals of a trend reversal. The COT data are usually reported every Friday and they show the status on Tuesday of the week. Sentiment according to the reported positions of large players in futures markets is not immediately reflected in the movement of currency pairs. Therefore, information on sentiment is more likely to be used by traders who take longer trades and are willing to hold their positions for several weeks or even months.

I discussed the potential for the invasion into Ukraine with a friend over the past few days and how this new war may change the global economy. We ended up discussing the Invasion of Kuwait that took place in August 1990. At that time, as soon as the Invasion of Kuwait started, consumers almost immediately changed their spending and financial habits.Suddenly, people stopped going out to dinner after work. They stopped going out for drinks. They also stopped playing computer games and spending money on most outside entertainment (movies and movie rentals – back in the Blockbuster days). In short, consumers became fascinated by the televised war and lost focus on almost everything else.Sign up for my free trading newsletter so you don’t miss the next opportunity! As the conversation progressed, we started talking about how the US Federal Reserve may suddenly find that consumers have begun pulling away from traditional spending habits and how quickly these consumer trends can alter the economic landscape. For example, nearly 60 days into the Invasion of Kuwait, my friend remembered the US economy shifted into a much slower gear, and consumers continued to stay away from more normal spending habits.If this happens in today's super-inflated world, we may see a sudden shift in inflation, retail, housing, and general consumer demand very quickly. Recently, I started receiving messages from friends and clients worldwide who are focused on the Invasion of Ukraine – a whole new generation of people who may become entranced in the televised war (again).Consumer Retail May Suffer A -60% CollapseThis XRT Weekly Chart highlights the pre-COVID support levels that may become future targets if consumer spending habits suddenly shift. XRT has already fallen nearly -32% from the recent highs. If consumers continue to move away from outside economic activities, or more common post-COVID economic activities, we may see the Retail sector continue to move lower.Housing May Contract Faster Than ExpectedReal Estate may contract to near the COVID lows if consumers shy away from chasing speculative price trends in housing. Flipping houses has become a very hot industry over the past 5+ years. Yet, suddenly larger firms like Zillow and OpenDoor started offloading their Real Estate inventory because consumer demand shifted ahead of the US Fed's proposed rate hikes in 2022. The double-whammy of rising rates and war may be similar to what happened in the US between 1993 and 1994 – a very stagnant housing market.IYR has already fallen -16.5% from the highs and may decline to levels closer to -30% (or more) before finding a bottom. Wars tend to shift economies and spending habits very quickly.What To Stay Focused On Amid All The NoiseTraders should stay keenly focused on market risks and weaknesses. I expected the conflict in Ukraine to have been priced into the US markets over the past 7+ days. However, I believe the markets were unprepared for this scale or invasion and will attempt to settle fair stock price valuation levels as the conflict continues. This is not the same US/Global market Bullish trend we've become used to trading over the past 5+ years. The market dynamics and trends are changing from what we have experienced over the past 40 years for stocks and bonds. The 60/40 portfolio is costing you money now. Traders need an edge to stay ahead of these markets trends and to protect and profit from big trends.The only way to navigate the financial markets safely, no matter the direction, is through technical analysis. By following assets and money flows, we identify trend changes and move our capital into whatever index, sector, industry, bond, commodity, country, and even currency ETF. By following the money, you become part of new emerging trends and can profit during weak stock or bond conditions.What Trading Strategies Will Help You To Navigate Current Market Trends?Learn how I use specific tools to help me understand price cycles, set-ups, and price target levels in various sectors to identify strategic entry and exit points for trades. Over the next 12 to 24+ months, I expect very large price swings in the US stock market and other asset classes across the globe. I believe the markets are starting to transition away from the continued central bank support rally phase and may start a revaluation phase as global traders attempt to identify the next big trends. Precious Metals will likely start to act as a proper hedge as caution and concern start to drive traders/investors into Metals.I invite you to learn more about how my three Technical Trading Strategies can help you protect and grow your wealth in any type of market condition by clicking the following link:   www.TheTechnicalTraders.com 

Looking back, gold has been rising nearly US$225 since December 15th, 2021, and US$195 since 28th of January 2022. Especially the strong rally over the last four weeks caught many by surprise. But our price target of US$1,975 was hit exactly last Thursday, when all other markets plunged in anticipation of strong sanctions against Russia. Markets then strongly recovered on Friday on hopes of weak sanctions and a potential postponement of the rate hikes by the FED. Over the weekend, however, NATO and its partners announced SWIFT sanctions against Russia. Monday will therefore likely be another wild and volatile day in the markets. But “peak fear” has probably been reached last Thursday (at least for now). Give peace a chance ðŸ•Šï¸ÂðŸ‡·ðŸ‡ºðŸ•Šï¸ÂðŸ‡ºðŸ‡¦ðŸ•Šï¸Â Fundamentally, banning Russian banks from SWIFT payments will lead to Russia stop selling oil & natural gas. Russian oil represents about 9% of global output and there’s an energy shortage already. The result will be a global depression and more inflation at the same time. And that would be the best-case scenario, cause as quickly as things unfold, WWIII is no longer an unthinkable horror scenario. We can only hope that successful peace negotiations will take place as soon as possible. In these uncertain times, gold should remain supported. As geopolitical events unfold, another sharp spike higher is always possible. A direct transition back into the correction, which began in August 2020, is unlikely. It would rather take much more time (at least a few months), before gold could drift back towards significantly lower grounds. Our maximum downside remains at US$1,625 for the potential 8-year cycle low, due in 2023 or 2024. Gold in US-Dollar, weekly chart as of February 27th, 2022. Gold in US-Dollar, weekly chart as of February 27th, 2022. On its weekly chart, gold continues to be in an uptrend. The breakout above the downtrend line led to a sharp advance over the last two weeks. The stochastic oscillator still has a buy signal in place. And with the sharp reversal/pullback since reaching $1,975, gold did close the week right at its upper Bollinger Band (US$1,889). Since the upper Bollinger Band has been bent upwards, gold will now have more room to continue its rally to the upside over the coming two to four weeks. However, the stochastic oscillator is about to reach its overbought zone. Comparing its behavior to the last 16 months, we have to assume that gold will have a hard time nesting up in the overbought zone for long. Hence, corrective price action is on the horizon. Overall, the weekly chart is still bullish and points to another attack towards US$1,950 to US$1,975. Gold in US-Dollar, daily chart as of February 27th, 2022. Gold in US-Dollar, daily chart as of February 27th, 2022. The daily chart captures the sharp rally as well as the reversal and bloodbath in the gold market over last two days. So far, gold has given back nearly 50% of the rally since January 28th (from US$1,780 up to US$1,975 and then down to US$1,878). The stochastic oscillator has lost its embedded status and momentum is bearish now. Should gold want to correct further towards the 61.8%-retracement ($1,854), it will likely also test the former resistance and breakout level around US$1,840 to US$1,845. Such a pullback towards US$1,840 to US$1,855 has certain probability, but would also offer a very interesting long entry again. Since the short-term timeframes like the 1- and 4-hour charts are getting oversold, gold alternatively might find support between US$1,870 and US$1,880 over the next few days already. To summarize, the daily chart is currently bearish and patience is needed. But Gold I swell supported and should find support either between US$1,840 to US$1,855 or US$1,870 and US$1,880. Afterwards it should start another leg up. Conclusion: Strong reversal should lead to another leg up Last week’s price action was certainly not for the faint of heart. A daily gain of over +4% is extremely rare in the gold market and was immediately undone upon COMEX opening. The sharp reversal does not look too good, but it does not yet mean the end of the rally. Expect some more downside or at least sideways consolidation. Usually, such a sharp rally does not collapse immediately. Hence, once the bulls have sorted themselves, we expect another rise above US$1,900 with a minimum price target of US$1,950. An overshot towards US$2,000 is still possible, but now a bit less likely. Once this next attack will have failed, we assume the start of a corrective wave down somewhere in spring, which could last well into early to midsummer. Feel free to join us in our free Telegram channel for daily real time data and a great community. If you like to get regular updates on our gold model, precious metals and cryptocurrencies you can also subscribe to our free newsletter. Disclosure: Midas Touch Consulting and members of our team are invested in Reyna Gold Corp. These statements are intended to disclose any conflict of interest. They should not be misconstrued as a recommendation to purchase any share. This article and the content are for informational purposes only and do not contain investment advice or recommendations. Every investment and trading move involves risk, and readers should conduct their own research when making a decision. The views, thoughts and opinions expressed here are the author’s alone. They do not necessarily reflect or represent the views and opinions of Midas Touch Consulting. By Florian Grummes|February 27th, 2022|Tags: Gold, Gold Analysis, Gold bullish, gold chartbook, Gold consolidation, gold fundamentals, Natural Gas, Oil, precious metals, Reyna Gold, US-Dollar|0 Comments About the Author: Florian Grummes Florian Grummes is an independent financial analyst, advisor, consultant, trader & investor as well as an international speaker with more than 20 years of experience in financial markets. He is specialized in precious metals, cryptocurrencies and technical analysis. He is publishing weekly gold, silver & cryptocurrency analysis for his numerous international readers. He is also running a large telegram Channel and a Crypto Signal Service. Florian is well known for combining technical, fundamental and sentiment analysis into one accurate conclusion about the markets. Since April 2019 he is chief editor of the cashkurs-gold newsletter focusing on gold and silver mining stocks. Besides all that, Florian is a music producer and composer. Since more than 25 years he has been professionally creating, writing & producing more than 300 songs. He is also running his own record label Cryon Music & Art Productions. His artist name is Florzinho.

Bitcoin, buy the news   With news, volatility is typically increasing, and a larger volume of transactions is at play. For amateurs, data evaluation in a turmoiled market environment generally results in procrastination of execution, meaning no trading or chasing trades. Professionals find necessary liquidity to exit a trade or use volatility to fade moves on less risk for entries. Last week’s invasion of Ukraine was no different. Only those prepared with a plan were able to position themselves in bitcoin. Bitcoin, daily chart, the giveaway: Crypto markets, daily charts as of February 28th, 2022. A giveaway was a widespread larger supply zone throughout the crypto sector (green horizontal lines on the daily charts above), and preset buy entries in the crypto space were getting triggered. Inter-market relationships stack the odds of placing a successful trade.   Bitcoin, weekly chart, entry target zone within reach: Bitcoin, weekly chart as of February 28th, 2022. With our entry target range nearly reached (see our previous chart book release), we were ready to act, knowing a possible larger time frame tuning point was a possibility. You might argue that the price has not penetrated the entry zone. Still, at a closer look, you will identify that due to exuberant volume on the surprise news day, the supply zone values had changed to provide significant support right at the rim of our initially planned zone. Charts need to be consistently updated to stay accurate! Bitcoin/Gold-Ratio, weekly chart, another edge stacked: Bitcoin versus Gold in USD, weekly chart as of March 1st, 2022. Precisely on the day in question, we also got a hedge rotational “buy signal” for bitcoin versus gold on the weekly chart. Consequently, this signal provided another inter-market relationship edge that supported our decision-making for aggressive entry. What we can see on the chart above that compares bitcoin with gold is that since institutional money has become a massive part of bitcoin holdings, these more significant funds rotate their money in and out between gold and bitcoin. Following the yellow line, one can see prices being high to buy bitcoin with gold at double top and acquiring bitcoin at a double bottom is a way to take advantage of cheaper bitcoin prices in relationship to gold. For us, a good reason to assume that gold holders might switch to bitcoin for the next foreseeable timeframe, to hedge their wealth preservation portfolios. Bitcoin, daily chart, profits booked and room to go: Bitcoin, weekly chart as of March 1st, 2022. The weekly chart above shows four more reloads within the last five days. All trades have been risk mitigated with our quad exit strategy. Consequently, the remaining position was market money at no risk to us. We posted daily calls to prepare interested parties for possible reentries. Prices have already advanced by nearly 30% from the lows. This preparedness and merely following rules allow ending up being positioned and not dependent on whether a turning point matures. Even in a negative outcome, profits have been made. With a bit of luck, these remainder positions can go a long way and provide substantial additional profits. In addition, one is positioned early before a trend is even established. Bitcoin, buy the news: We must confront opinion-forming debates led by ego (the need to be right). We use reconditioning behavior to achieve best results. The goal in mind is to “erase” intuitive responses and an execution time delay leading to sub-par entry timing. Consequently, consistent extracting of profits from the market is possible. At Midas Touch, we have made it our business to share our entry and exit timing and their underlying principles in our free Telegram channel to empower our clients and followers to become successful self-directed investors.   Feel free to join us in our free Telegram channel for daily real time data and a great community. If you like to get regular updates on precious metals and cryptocurrencies, you can also subscribe to our free newsletter. Disclosure: This article and the content are for informational purposes only and do not contain investment advice or recommendations. Every investment and trading move involves risk, and readers should conduct their own research when making a decision. The views, thoughts and opinions expressed here are the author’s alone. They do not necessarily reflect or represent the views and opinions of Midas Touch Consulting. By Korbinian Koller|March 1st, 2022|Tags: Bitcoin, Bitcoin bounce, Bitcoin bullish, Bitcoin consolidation, bitcoin/gold-ratio, crypto analysis, crypto chartbook, DeFi, Gold, Gold bullish, low risk, quad exit, S&P 500, technical analysis, trading education|0 Comments About the Author: Korbinian Koller Outstanding abstract reasoning ability and ability to think creatively and originally has led over the last 25 years to extract new principles and a unique way to view the markets resulting in a multitude of various time frame systems, generating high hit rates and outstanding risk reward ratios. Over 20 years of coaching traders with heart & passion, assessing complex situations, troubleshoot and solve problems principle based has led to experience and a professional history of success. Skilled natural teacher and exceptional developer of talent. Avid learner guided by a plan with ability to suppress ego and empower students to share ideas and best practices and to apply principle-based technical/conceptual knowledge to maximize efficiency. 25+ year execution experience (50.000+ trades executed) Trading multiple personal accounts (long and short-and combinations of the two). Amazing market feel complementing mechanical systems discipline for precise and extreme low risk entries while objectively seeing the whole picture. Ability to notice and separate emotional responses from the decision-making process and to stand outside oneself and one’s concerns about images in order to function in terms of larger objectives. Developed exit strategies that compensate both for maximizing profits and psychological ease to allow for continuous flow throughout the whole trading day. In depth knowledge of money management strategies with the experience of multiple 6 sigma events in various markets (futures, stocks, commodities, currencies, bonds) embedded in extreme low risk statistical probability models with smooth equity curves and extensive risk management as well as extensive disaster risk allow for my natural capacity for risk-taking.

Is a bear market on the way? My research suggests the downward sloping trend line (LIGHT ORANGE in the Daily/Weekly SPY chart below) may continue to act as solid resistance – possibly prompting a further breakdown in the markets for US major indexes.As we've seen recently, news and other unexpected events prompt very large price volatility events in the US major indexes. For example, the VIX recently rose above 30 again, which shows volatility levels are currently 3x higher than normal levels.Increased Volatility & The Start Of An Excess Phase Peak Should Be A Clear WarningThis increased volatility in the markets, coupled with the increased fear of the US Fed and the global unknowns (Ukraine, China, Debt Levels, and others), may be just enough pressure to crush any upside price trends over the next few months. Technically, my research suggests the $445 to $450 level is critical resistance. The SPY must climb above these levels to have any chance of moving higher.Sign up for my free trading newsletter so you don’t miss the next opportunity! Unless the US markets find some new support and attempt to rally back towards recent highs, an “Excess Phase Peak” pattern will likely continue to unfold throughout 2022. This unique price pattern appears to have already reached a Phase 2 or Phase 3 setup. Please take a look at this Weekly GE example of an Excess Phase Peak pattern and how it transitions through Phase 1 through Phase 4 before entering an extended Bearish price trend.Read this research article about Excess Phase Peaks: HOW TO SPOT THEN END OF AN EXCESS PHASE - PART 2SPY May Already Be In A Phase 4 Excess Peak PhaseThis Daily SPY chart highlights my analysis, showing the major downward sloping trend line, the Middle Resistance Zone, and the lower Support Zone. Combined, these are acting as a “Wedge” for price over the past few weeks – tightening into an Apex near $435~440.If the US major indexes attempt to break this downward price trend, then the price must attempt to move solidly above this downward sloping price channel and try to rally back into the Resistance Zone (near $445~$450). Unless that happens, the price will likely transition into a deeper downward price move, attempting to break below recent lows, near $410, and possibly quickly moving down to the $360 level.SPY Weekly Chart Shows Consolidation Near $435 – Possibly Starting A Phase 4 Excess PeakTraders should stay keenly aware of the risks associated with the broad US and global market decline as the Ukraine war, and other unknowns continue to elevate fear and concerns related to the global economy. In my opinion, with the current excess global debt levels, extended speculative market bubbles, and the continued commodity price rally, we may be starting to transition away from an extended growth phase and into a deeper depreciation cycle phase.My research suggests we entered a new Depreciation cycle phase in late 2019 and are already more than 25 months into a potential 9.5-year global Depreciation cycle. What comes next should not surprise anyone.Read this article about Depreciation Cycle Phases: HOW TO INTERPRET & PROFIT FROM THE RISKS OF A DEPRECIATION CYCLE Traders should stay keenly focused on market risks and weaknesses. I expected the conflict in Ukraine to have been priced into the US markets over the past 7+ days. However, I believe the markets were unprepared for this scale or invasion and will attempt to settle fair stock price valuation levels as the conflict continues. This is not the same US/Global market Bullish trend we've become used to trading over the past 5+ years. Looking Forward - preparing for a possible Bear marketMarket dynamics and trends are changing from what we have experienced over the past 40 years for stocks and bonds. The 60/40 portfolio is costing you money now. Traders need an edge to stay ahead of these markets trends and to protect and profit from big trends.The only way to navigate the financial markets safely, no matter the direction, is through technical analysis. By following assets and money flows, we identify trend changes and move our capital into whatever index, sector, industry, bond, commodity, country, and even currency ETF. By following the money, you become part of new emerging trends and can profit during weak stock or bond conditions.Want Trading Strategies that Will Help You To Navigate Current Market Trends?Learn how I use specific tools to help me understand price cycles, set-ups, and price target levels in various sectors to identify strategic entry and exit points for trades. Over the next 12 to 24+ months, I expect very large price swings in the US stock market and other asset classes across the globe. I believe the markets are starting to transition away from the continued central bank support rally phase and may start a revaluation phase as global traders attempt to identify the next big trends. Precious Metals will likely start to act as a proper hedge as caution and concern start to drive traders/investors into Metals.I invite you to learn more about how my three Technical Trading Strategies can help you protect and grow your wealth in any type of market condition by clicking the following link:   www.TheTechnicalTraders.com 

The Swing Overview - Week 9 The war in Ukraine continues, and although we all want this tragic event to be ended immediately, but unfortunately, according to last statements of Russian officials, it looks like the war will drag on for a longer period of time. Investors have reacted to this development by selling risk assets, including the Czech koruna. Stock indices are losing ground and the DAX in particular has been under heavy pressure. On the other hand, commodities such as oil, gold, and coal are strengthening strongly. Somewhat surprising is the development in the Australian dollar, which usually weakens in the events of geopolitical uncertainties. However, there is a reason for its current rise. More on this in our article. Conflict in Ukraine   Vladimir Putin probably did not expect to encounter such a brave resistance from Ukraine and that  almost the whole world would send Russia into isolation through significant sanctions. The list of companies and actions that have cut ties with Russia is growing day by the day and Western companies are leaving Russia. Thus, for Russians, foreign goods (food, clothing, furniture, electronics, cars) will gradually become very rare. Probably the strongest sanction that Russia has felt so far, was the freeze of the Russian Central Bank's foreign exchange reserves. In response, the Russian ruble began to depreciate significantly on February 28, 2022, and has already lost more than 30% of its pre-invasion value. In response, the Russian Central Bank intervened by raising the interest rate to 20%, which temporarily halted the ruble's fall.    Figure 1: The Russian ruble paired with the USD and the euro Meanwhile, Western countries have not exhausted all options to stop Russia in this war through economic sanctions in case of further escalation of the conflict yet. The fact that European countries might stop taking Russian gas is also at stake. This would, of course, have a very significant impact on the entire European economy. However, these are still just some economic losses, which can not be   compared at all with the losses of lives experienced by the unprecedentedly attacked Ukraine. In any case, this crisis seems to have the potential to surpass in its consequences the crisis that occurred in Russia in 1998, which led to inflation exceeding 80% and central bank interest rates reaching 150%.   Data from the US economy The ISM manufacturing sentiment indicator for February came in at 58.6 which is better than expected and points to an optimistic development of the US economy. In the labour market sector, the ADP (non-farm job change) indicator was reported, which showed that 475 thousand jobs were created in America in February (compared to 509 thousand in January). The number of unemployment claims reached 215 thousand last week, which was less than expected 226 thousand. Thus, the data show that the US economy is doing well so far and the US Fed is going to raise interest rates at its next meeting on March 16, 2022. Jerome Powell said that he would support a 0.25% rate hike. Powell also said that the war in Ukraine means significant uncertainty for monetary policy.   The US dollar and bond yields The US dollar continues to strengthen, as the USD index shows. In addition to the expected US interest rate hike, the US dollar bullishness is explained by demand for US government bonds in times of uncertainty. Demand for these bonds then pushes down their yields, which continue to fall. Figure 2: 10-year government bond yield on the 4H chart and USD index on the daily chart Index SP500 The US SP 500 index moved in a consolidation range last week. This shows that investors have so far viewed the conflict in Ukraine as an event that is more or less a regional event and therefore saw cheap stocks as a buying opportunity.  However, the sanctions adopted by Western countries will of course also have an impact on the global economy, especially if the conflict deepens further. This concern was then reflected at the end of the week when the index started to weaken. Figure 3: The SP 500 on H4 and D1 chart   Resistance according to the H4 chart is in the region of around 4,410 - 4,420. The nearest support according to the H4 chart is at 4255 - 4284. Significant support is at 4,100 - 4,113. German DAX index In contrast to the SP 500 index, there was a big sell-off in the DAX, showing that investors are worried, among other things, that a further escalation of the conflict could lead to a disruption in the supply of Russian gas, on which Germany is heavily dependent.  According to the daily chart, it looks like the DAX index is now in free fall and is breaking through support barriers as if they did not exist. It looks like the market is starting to show signs of panic selling by inexperienced investors.  If you are speculating in the short term, then bear in mind that short term speculation against such a strong downtrend is very disadvantageous and risky.   Figure 4: DAX on H4 and daily chart     Current resistance is in the area of 13,655 - 13,756. The price is now at support at 13,400, which is already slightly broken, but the closing of the whole session will be crucial. The next support is then at 13 000 - 13 100.   The Czech koruna is losing significantly The Czech koruna has long benefited from the interest rate differential, which has been very favourable for the koruna against the euro and has been the reason why the koruna has appreciated strongly since November 2021. But the Czech koruna, along with other Central European currencies, is a currency that is losing ground heavily in the current conflict.   Figure 5: The EURCZK on the daily chart   Firstly, there is the concern that the Czech Republic is geographically quite close to Ukraine, even though the Czech Republic does not have very significant exports directly with Ukraine nor Russia (in total, around 3% of total Czech exports). At the same time, there is concern about the Czech Republic's dependence on Russian gas. If the taps are closed, then the koruna could shoot above  CZK 27 per euro. Currently, the EURCZK pair is trading at the resistance level of 25. 80 - 25.90.   The Australian dollar The Australian dollar is a currency that tends to weaken during major global crises. In particular, the AUDJPY pair is correlated with the SP 500 index in the short term. Currently, however, the Australian dollar is strengthening.  This is because the Australian economy is export-oriented and exports commodities such as gold, iron ore, coal and gas.  All these commodities are now in high demand. Europe, for example, is realising that dependence on Russian gas is not paying off and is looking for alternatives. A temporary solution will be to rebuild coal-fired power stations. Germany and Italy have already started to buy coal stocks, which are therefore appreciating strongly. As a result, the price of coal has sky-rocketed, with one tonne reaching a record price of the USD 400. Figure 6: The coal price   The gold, traditionally seen as a safe haven in times of uncertainty, is also strengthening. The gold has also been helped by a fall in US bond yields.   Figure 7: The gold on H4 and D1 charts   In terms of technical analysis, the gold stopped at the resistance of $1,973 per ounce. The nearest support according to the daily chart is  $1,870 - 1,878 per ounce. The rise in commodity prices then resulted in the strengthening of the Australian dollar.     Figure 8: The AUDJPY currency pair on D1 chart   The AUDJPY broke the resistance in the range of 0.8400 - 0.8420, which became the new support. The next resistance is then at the level of 85.90 - 86.20.  

Bitcoins image boost   In times of war, unfortunately, other news is quickly overshadowed temporarily. Gold, monthly chart, cup and handle: Gold in US Dollar, monthly chart as of March 7th, 2022. One significant factor is the gold bullish monthly chart with its cup and handle price formation. The larger time frame of the related market plays a substantial role in inter-market analysis. Gold, leading wealth preservation “insurance” for your money in inflationary times, should be on a bitcoin trader/investor’s radar. We find a bullish tone in gold to support possible bitcoin price increases.     Bitcoin/Gold-Ratio, monthly chart, bitcoin is cheap: Bitcoin versus Gold in USD, monthly chart as of March 8th, 2022. An additional welcoming factor can be found in the monthly chart of the bitcoin relationship towards gold. Presently, around 20 ounces buy you one bitcoin, while in the last quarter of last year, the same bitcoin cost you instead 37 ounces of gold. Consequently, those who have exited a fiat currency system or those who constructively hedge their wealth preservation portfolio might have a greater focus on bitcoin currently as on gold; it is cheaper. Bitcoin, weekly chart, still a couple weeks: Bitcoin in USD, weekly chart as of March 8th, 2022. A look at a weekly bitcoin chart shows temporary weakness in a general up slope near an entry zone. The last two weeks provided for substantial income-producing trading through partial profit-taking. Bitcoin had delivered a 32% range from US$34,322 to US$45,400. Unfortunately, there was no directional follow-through beyond this point, and bitcoin has yet again retraced substantially. Currently, Bitcoin is hovering right above a low-risk entry zone again, and we are hawkishly looking out for low-risk entries. A look into the past shows that it took bitcoin ten weeks to turn around in scenario A. Our timing prognosis is another two weeks now before we see possibly fast advancements. Bitcoins image boost: Some think of chocolate when thinking of Switzerland, and indeed this news is sweet to the bitcoin community. Bitcoins’ last step to gain momentum is widespread adoption. News, like the 10% increase in GDP since El Salvador’s declaration of bitcoin being accepted legal tender, is impressive. Yet, it is still met with doubt due to either political or economic situations of countries that have adopted bitcoin so far. With a central money mecca now representing progressive bitcoin use and old history of a conservative, strong financial stability image backing such behavior, widespread mass doubt can be swayed towards more bitcoin adaptation.   Feel free to join us in our free Telegram channel for daily real time data and a great community. If you like to get regular updates on precious metals and cryptocurrencies, you can also subscribe to our free newsletter. Disclosure: This article and the content are for informational purposes only and do not contain investment advice or recommendations. Every investment and trading move involves risk, and readers should conduct their own research when making a decision. The views, thoughts and opinions expressed here are the author’s alone. They do not necessarily reflect or represent the views and opinions of Midas Touch Consulting. By Korbinian Koller|March 8th, 2022|Tags: Bitcoin, Bitcoin bounce, Bitcoin bullish, Bitcoin consolidation, bitcoin/gold-ratio, crypto analysis, crypto chartbook, DeFi, Gold, Gold bullish, low risk, quad exit, technical analysis, trading education|0 Comments About the Author: Korbinian Koller Outstanding abstract reasoning ability and ability to think creatively and originally has led over the last 25 years to extract new principles and a unique way to view the markets resulting in a multitude of various time frame systems, generating high hit rates and outstanding risk reward ratios. Over 20 years of coaching traders with heart & passion, assessing complex situations, troubleshoot and solve problems principle based has led to experience and a professional history of success. Skilled natural teacher and exceptional developer of talent. Avid learner guided by a plan with ability to suppress ego and empower students to share ideas and best practices and to apply principle-based technical/conceptual knowledge to maximize efficiency. 25+ year execution experience (50.000+ trades executed) Trading multiple personal accounts (long and short-and combinations of the two). Amazing market feel complementing mechanical systems discipline for precise and extreme low risk entries while objectively seeing the whole picture. Ability to notice and separate emotional responses from the decision-making process and to stand outside oneself and one’s concerns about images in order to function in terms of larger objectives. Developed exit strategies that compensate both for maximizing profits and psychological ease to allow for continuous flow throughout the whole trading day. In depth knowledge of money management strategies with the experience of multiple 6 sigma events in various markets (futures, stocks, commodities, currencies, bonds) embedded in extreme low risk statistical probability models with smooth equity curves and extensive risk management as well as extensive disaster risk allow for my natural capacity for risk-taking.

The US S&P500 closed Thursday with a 0.4% drop, but the sustained downward trend since the beginning of the year has formed a “death cross”, a bearish signal of Tech analysis when the 50-day Moving Average crosses down the 200-day one. It is widely considered as a downtrend confirmation, followed by a further and faster market decline. However, this time the situation might be more optimistic, and there are several other indications, both from technical analysis and the news background. The history of the past ten years makes us wary of any signal that follows from a crossover of these averages. The “death cross” was most clearly triggered in August 2015 and December 2018, when this signal was followed by 12% and 16% drawdowns in the index in the following couple of weeks. The difference between those episodes and the current one is that back then, the market was stalling for a long time, with no strength for growth. This crossover has now taken place after a three-month correction. This trend brings the situation closer to 2020 when the market collapsed on the pandemic - the “black swan”. The war between Russia and Ukraine is the same black swan that accelerated and intensified the correction. In March 2020, and again almost two years later, the “cross” came after an impulsive decline and away from local lows. On the daily timeframes, another indicator, the Relative Strength Index, shows a waning of the downward momentum, as the new lows of the S&P500 index met the RSI at higher local lows. The broad market index found solid support at 76.4% Fibonacci in March from the rally from the pandemic bottom to the peaks of January. There are some fundamentally positive developments for the market. President Putin of Russia rather unexpectedly noted progress in the negotiations with Ukraine, while outside observers the day before stated the opposite. Also, Fed rhetoric has become much softer over the last month, and US lawmakers are more likely to agree on stimulus packages, supporting the demand for risky assets.

The Swing Overview – Week 10 The war in Ukraine has been going on for more than two weeks and there is no end in sight. However, the markets seem to have started to adapt to the new situation and the decline in the indices has stopped. Meanwhile, inflation in the Czech Republic rose to 11.1% and the ECB left rates unchanged as expected. There is extreme volatility in oil. After reaching 2008 price levels there has been a larger correction. The conflict in Ukraine   The high-profile meeting between Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov and his Ukrainian counterpart Kuleba did not bring a solution to end the war.  Russia continues to expect Ukraine to recognise Crimea as part of Russia, to recognise the independence of republics declared by pro-Russian separatists in eastern Ukraine, and not to join NATO. Kuleba commented that Ukraine will not surrender. So, unfortunately, the war continues.   The sanctions, which have caused the Russian economy a shock and which are being extended, should help to end the war. The US announced that it stopped taking Russian oil. However, European leaders have not agreed to stop taking Russian energy because of their current dependence on it. As a lesson from this war, the EU is preparing a plan to stop taking Russian gas by 2027.   Meanwhile, the markets have calmed down a bit and although a resolution to the conflict is nowhere in sight, the markets seem to have come to accept the war as a regional issue that will have a negative but limited impact on global economic growth. This can be seen in US 10-year bond rates, which have started to rise again.   Figure 1: 10-year government bond yield on the 4H chart and USD index on the daily chart   The US inflation at highest levels in 40 years Annual inflation in the US for February was 7.9%, the highest since January 1982. The biggest contributor to inflation is energy, which saw inflation reaching 25.6%, while gasoline prices were up 38%. These figures do not include recent developments in Europe. Continued supply-side logistics problems and strong demand, together with a tight labour market mean that higher inflation will last for a longer period. Figure 2: The inflation in the US   Next week, the US Fed will meet to respond to rising inflation. Interest rates are generally expected to rise by at least 0.25%.    The SP500 index Long-term investors in the SP 500 index track an indicator of the number of companies whose stock prices are above the 50-day average. Figure 3: The SP 500 Index and an indicator of the number of companies in the SP 500 Index above the 50-day moving average   This indicator has recently fallen to a value of 20. In the past, as the figure shows, reaching a value of 20 was mostly followed by an increase in the index. It is therefore likely that investors will now start buying the shares. Amazon shares gained significantly after the company announced a 20:1 stock split. The stock can thus be afforded by more retail investors. As for the current trend in the SP 500 index, it has been moving down recently. This may be a correction to the overall uptrend shown in Figure 3. In Figure 4 we have a short-term view.     Figure 4: SP 500 on H4 and D1 chart   From a technical analysis perspective, the moving averages suggest that the index is moving down. Investor interest in buying a dip has slowed this decline, which can be seen on the H4 chart where a higher low has formed.  Support is at 4,140 - 4,152. Resistance is at 4,288 - 4,300. The next resistance is at 4,385 - 4,415. The moving averages also serve as resistance.   The inflation in the Czech Republic has surpassed 11% Annual inflation in the Czech Republic for February 2022 was 11.1% (9.9% in January), higher than market expectations (10.3% was expected). This is the highest inflation in the Czech Republic since 1998. The largest contributors to inflation are housing (16%), electricity (22.6%) and gas (28.3%). This figure is likely to force the CNB to raise rates further. The Czech koruna has stalled against the euro at resistance around 25.80 - 25.90. The reason for the weakening of the koruna was geopolitical uncertainty regarding the war in Ukraine. Now it seems that the markets have absorbed this situation and this may be the reason for the appreciation of the koruna that occurred last week. If the war in Ukraine does not escalate further into new unexpected dimensions (such as the disruption of gas supplies to Europe from Russia), then the interest rate differential could again be an important factor, which, due to higher interest rates on the koruna, could lead to the koruna appreciation towards January levels.   Figure 5: EURCZK on the daily chart   Resistance: 25.80 - 25.90.  Support: 24.50 - 24.60 and then around 24.10   ECB and the euro The ECB left interest rates unchanged at 0%. At the same time, it surprised the market by ending its bond buying program in Q3, earlier than previous forecasts. The reaction to the news was a strong appreciation of the euro and it jumped to 1.1120 against the dollar. Eventually, however, the euro ended the session at around 1.10. The reason for this reversal is that tightening at a time when the economy is slowing could lead to stagflation. Strong US inflation data also contributed to the euro sell-off. The US is also much less vulnerable to sanctions against Russia than Europe.   Figure 6: EURUSD on the H4 and daily charts   From a technical point of view, we can see that the EURUSD has stalled right at the resistance band, which is at the 1.11-1.1130 level. The nearest support is 1.08-1.0850.   Crude Oil Brent crude oil reached $136 earlier this week, the highest level since July 2008. This was due to fears of a shortage of black liquid due to the conflict in Ukraine. However, Russia , which produces 7% of global demand, has announced that it will meet its contractual obligations. At the same time, Chevron said there was no shortage of oil and some other producers were ready to increase production if necessary. The EU has also announced that it will not impose an embargo on Russian oil imports, which would otherwise shock the market at a time when oil stocks are reaching multi-year lows, and will not join the US and the UK. Following this, oil began to retreat from its highs.   Figure 7: Brent crude oil on monthly and daily charts Resistance is in the 132-135 range. The nearest support is 103 - 105 USD per barrel. The next support is then in the band around USD 85 - 87 per barrel.  

Bitcoin is needed as an alternative   The weakened US-Dollar and the present unexpected climate seems not being fully reflected in bitcoin´s price. Consequently, bitcoin prices could soar in the not too distant future. Bitcoin/Gold-Ratio, daily chart, bottom building: Bitcoin/Gold-Ratio, daily chart as of March 15th, 2022. A phenomenon in times of crisis is that individuals look for absolutes or extremes to resolve difficult circumstances. We instead advocate a more principle-based process of solving problems, an approach of choices. Regarding wealth preservation, this would mean gold and silver alongside bitcoin. The daily chart of the bitcoin/gold-ratio shows the bottom building after a downtrend. Currently, one can purchase a bitcoin for twenty ounces of gold. Nearly half as much as five months ago. Indeed, an opportunity to rotate one’s precious metal holding partially into a cheap bitcoin acquisition.     Bitcoin, monthly chart, in waiting position: Bitcoin in USD, monthly chart as of March 15th, 2022. War inherently divides nations, and that does not mean limiting only the ones directly in conflict with each other. It is this divide that, in addition, fuels the competition for each nation to be first in their digital currency release. Sanctioned countries have limited access to the US-Dollar. Consequently, they are highly motivated to create an alternate payment method. The monthly chart is not showing this fundamental support for bitcoin. Early signs of a triangle show that we find likely to break to the upside. Slow stochastic indicator reading (A) shows that the last time around at these levels, a strong up move followed. Similar to the yellow CCI turbo line-level reading (B). Before such a move, we witnessed a quick price spike down (C), which would be no surprise. Bitcoin, weekly chart, bitcoin as an alternative is needed: Bitcoin in USD, weekly chart as of March 15th, 2022. Zooming into the weekly time frame, we can make out the battle between bulls and bears in more detail. Over the last three weeks, prices were rejected above the POC (point of control = high volume node, where our volume profile analysis ranges over the previous fifteen months). As well, price behavior is reflecting the war climate’s uncertainty. At the same time, the bulls have held steady any attempt of the bears trying to push prices below US$37,500. Hence, we should see a substantial move once trading snaps out of this “magnet trading” to the high-volume node. Bitcoin, daily chart, gains and volatility: Bitcoin in USD, daily chart as of March 15th, 2022. The daily chart of bitcoin above describes how we see the future unfold. We anticipate the price to reach all-time highs within the upcoming month. Unfortunately, not in bitcoins typical swing trading manner. We foresee a choppy, volatile market. Consequently, short and midterm trading will be challenging. Stepping up in time frame is a helpful approach to avoid the noise. Bitcoin is needed as an alternative: Governments will try to keep their monopolies and power. However, we don’t think that the adoption of a digital dollar by the masses will not be that easy. We find this especially true to be in a highly transitory time of rapid changes and many challenges. Typically, multiple propaganda waves through media have bridged such doubt but might have lost some of its trustworthiness. Consequently, bitcoin has a fair chance for mass adoption just as well. It already has a history and carries inherent features of freedom that people might long for more than anticipated.   Feel free to join us in our free Telegram channel for daily real time data and a great community. If you like to get regular updates on precious metals and cryptocurrencies, you can also subscribe to our free newsletter. Disclosure: This article and the content are for informational purposes only and do not contain investment advice or recommendations. Every investment and trading move involves risk, and readers should conduct their own research when making a decision. The views, thoughts and opinions expressed here are the author’s alone. They do not necessarily reflect or represent the views and opinions of Midas Touch Consulting. By Korbinian Koller|March 15th, 2022|Tags: Bitcoin, Bitcoin bounce, Bitcoin bullish, Bitcoin consolidation, bitcoin/gold-ratio, crypto analysis, crypto chartbook, DeFi, Gold, Gold bullish, low risk, quad exit, technical analysis, trading education|0 Comments About the Author: Korbinian Koller Outstanding abstract reasoning ability and ability to think creatively and originally has led over the last 25 years to extract new principles and a unique way to view the markets resulting in a multitude of various time frame systems, generating high hit rates and outstanding risk reward ratios. Over 20 years of coaching traders with heart & passion, assessing complex situations, troubleshoot and solve problems principle based has led to experience and a professional history of success. Skilled natural teacher and exceptional developer of talent. Avid learner guided by a plan with ability to suppress ego and empower students to share ideas and best practices and to apply principle-based technical/conceptual knowledge to maximize efficiency. 25+ year execution experience (50.000+ trades executed) Trading multiple personal accounts (long and short-and combinations of the two). Amazing market feel complementing mechanical systems discipline for precise and extreme low risk entries while objectively seeing the whole picture. Ability to notice and separate emotional responses from the decision-making process and to stand outside oneself and one’s concerns about images in order to function in terms of larger objectives. Developed exit strategies that compensate both for maximizing profits and psychological ease to allow for continuous flow throughout the whole trading day. In depth knowledge of money management strategies with the experience of multiple 6 sigma events in various markets (futures, stocks, commodities, currencies, bonds) embedded in extreme low risk statistical probability models with smooth equity curves and extensive risk management as well as extensive disaster risk allow for my natural capacity for risk-taking.

Galaxy Digital CEO Mike Novogratz, known for his bullish predictions, has unveiled a new one that sees BTC hit $500,000 in 2025. Should we believe in that? No sharp movements According to the Santiment team, Bitcoin whale activity has fallen to its lowest level in a year in recent days. Therefore, one should not expect sharp movements in the market soon. In confirmation of this, Bitcoin is down only 0.4% over the past 24 hours to $40.7K. Ethereum has added 1.5% over the same time, other leading altcoins from the top ten are changing from -2.0% (Terra) to 5% (Avalanche). According to CoinMarketCap, the total capitalization of the crypto market grew by 0.3% over the day, to $1.83 trillion. The Bitcoin dominance index decreased by 0.4% to 42.4% due to the better dynamics of altcoins. The crypto-currency index of fear and greed lost 2 points to 25 in a day and again found itself in a state of "extreme fear". In searching of the bottom Despite the outstripping dynamics of altcoins, a sequence of lower and lower local highs continues to form in Bitcoin. In early February, the upside lost momentum as it moved above $45.5K. In the first days of March, the bears already dominated on the way to $45K, on the 8th already near $42.5K, and in the last two days they are trying to form a downward reversal at $41.5K. At the same time, the bulls manage to form a strong support near $38K. The FxPro Analyst Team emphasized that in terms of technical analysis, BTCUSD remains close to its 50-day moving average, clearly indicating the absence of any trend now. However, a consolidation in a descending triangle is usually a respite before the next decline. We will see the implementation of this scenario if BTCUSD fixes under $38K. An alternative scenario and a new upside momentum should be expected if the bulls manage to push the price above the previous highs of $42.5K, or close the day/week above $42K. News to consider Galaxy Digital CEO Mike Novogratz, known for his bullish predictions, has unveiled a new one that sees BTC hit $500,000 in 2025. The State Russian Duma urged to speed up the launch of the cryptoruble in order to better bypass Western sanctions. Meanwhile, the Central Bank of the Russian Federation recommended that banks strengthen control over the operations of clients related to cryptocurrencies.

Starting at a low of US$1,780 on January 28th, gold went up rapidly US$290 within less than six weeks, reaching a short-term top at US$2,070. Since that high on March 8th, however, gold prices fell back even faster. In total, gold plunged a whooping US$175 to a low of US$1,895 in the aftermath of last week’s FOMC meeting. A quick bounce took prices back to around US$1,950, but the weekly close at around US$1,920 came in lower.This volatile roller coaster ride is truly not for the faint of heart. Nevertheless, gold has done well this year, and, despite a looming multi-months correction, it might now be in a setup from which another attack towards US$2,000 could start in the short-term.Gold in US-Dollar, weekly chart as of March 19th, 2022.Gold in US-Dollar, weekly chart as of March 19th, 2022.On the weekly chart, gold prices have been rushing higher with great momentum. For five consecutive weeks, the bulls were able to bend the upper Bollinger band (US$1,963) upwards. However, the final green candle closed far outside the Bollinger bands and looks like a weekly reversal. Consequently, if gold has now dipped into a multi-month correction, a retracement back to the neckline of the broken triangle respectively the inverse head & shoulder pattern in the range of US$1,820 to US$1,850 would be quite typical and to be expected. In this range, the classic 61.8% retracement of the entire wave up (from the low at US$1,678 on August 9th, 2021, to the most recent blow off top at US$2,070) sits at US$1,827.79. The weekly stochastic oscillator has not yet rolled over, but weekly momentum is overbought and vulnerable.In total, the weekly chart shows a big reversal and therefore no longer supports the bullish case. However, it could still take some more time before a potential correction gains momentum.  Gold in US-Dollar, daily chart as of March 19th, 2022.Gold in US-Dollar, daily chart as of March 19th, 2022.While the weekly chart may just be at the beginning of a multi-month correction, the overbought setup on the daily chart has already been largely cleared up by the recent steep pullback. Despite Friday’s rather weak closing, the odds are not bad that gold might very soon be turning up again. However, gold bulls need to take out the pivot resistance around US$1,960 to unlock higher price targets in the context of a recovery. The potential Fibonacci retracements are waiting at US$1,962, US$2,003 and US$2,028. Hence, gold could bounce back to approx. US$2,000, which is a round number and therefore a psychological resistance.On the other hand, if gold fails to move back above Thursday’s high at US$1,950, weakness will increase immediately and significantly. In that case, bulls can only hope that the quickly rising lower Bollinger Band (US$1,861) would catch and limit a deeper sell-off. But since the stochastic oscillator has reached its oversold zone, bears might have a hard time pushing gold significantly below US$1,900.Overall, the daily chart is slightly oversold, and gold might start a bounce soon. Conclusion: Potential recovery to approx. US$2,000After a strong rally and a steep pullback, the gold market is likely in the process of reordering. While the weekly timeframe points to a correction, the oversold daily chart points to an immediate bounce. Given these contradictory signals, investors and especially traders are well advised to exercise patience and caution in the coming days, weeks, and months. If gold has entered a corrective cycle, it could easily take until the early to mid-summer before a sustainable new up-trend might emerge.Alternative super bullish scenarioAlternatively, and this of course is still a possible scenario, the breakout from the large “cup and handle” pattern is just getting started. In this very bullish case, gold is in the process of breaking out above US$2,100 to finally complete the very large “cup and handle” pattern, which has been developing for 11 years! Obviously, the sky would then be the limit.To summarize, gold is getting really bullish back above US$2,030. On the other hand, below $US1,895 the bears would be in control. In between those two numbers, the odds favor a bounce towards US$1,960 and maybe USD$2,000.Feel free to join us in our free Telegram channel for daily real time data and a great community. If you like to get regular updates on our gold model, precious metals and cryptocurrencies you can also subscribe to our free newsletter.Disclosure: Midas Touch Consulting and members of our team are invested in Reyna Gold Corp. These statements are intended to disclose any conflict of interest. They should not be misconstrued as a recommendation to purchase any share. This article and the content are for informational purposes only and do not contain investment advice or recommendations. Every investment and trading move involves risk, and readers should conduct their own research when making a decision. The views, thoughts and opinions expressed here are the author’s alone. They do not necessarily reflect or represent the views and opinions of Midas Touch Consulting.By Florian Grummes|March 19th, 2022|Tags: Gold, Gold Analysis, Gold bearish, Gold bullish, gold chartbook, Gold consolidation, gold fundamentals, Gold sideways, precious metals, Reyna Gold|0 Commentshttps://www.midastouch-consulting.com/gold-chartbook-19032022-potential-recovery-to-approx-us2000About the Author: Florian GrummesFlorian Grummes is an independent financial analyst, advisor, consultant, trader & investor as well as an international speaker with more than 20 years of experience in financial markets. He is specialized in precious metals, cryptocurrencies and technical analysis. He is publishing weekly gold, silver & cryptocurrency analysis for his numerous international readers. He is also running a large telegram Channel and a Crypto Signal Service. Florian is well known for combining technical, fundamental and sentiment analysis into one accurate conclusion about the markets. Since April 2019 he is chief editor of the cashkurs-gold newsletter focusing on gold and silver mining stocks. Besides all that, Florian is a music producer and composer. Since more than 25 years he has been professionally creating, writing & producing more than 300 songs. He is also running his own record label Cryon Music & Art Productions. His artist name is Florzinho.

Every Tuesday our Global Macro Strategist Luke Suddards will be analysing the charts of key global asset classes such as FX, commodities and more. Catch him on Twitter - @lukesuddards Also, he produces The Weekly Close Out every Friday, which provides key insights into the main catalysts for all the major global macro assets throughout the week. The analysis takes a hybrid approach - combining fundamental and technical analysis with charts to enhance your trading experience. Sign up here to receive it directly in your inbox: https://cloud.go.pepperstone.com/week

Bitcoin´s time to go   Trying to pick tops and bottoms is honorable and a desirable goal. Nevertheless, there needs to be other insurances and principles in place. If an ideal spot passes or the market doesn’t provide for a low-risk entry or enough liquidity for an exit, one still needs alternate tools to participate in the market. Our quad exit strategy allows for position building and market participation that consistently extracts monies from the markets. Bitcoin, daily chart, keep calm and keep trading: Bitcoin in USD, daily chart as of March 22nd, 2022. Precision trading gets even more difficult in wartimes, when frequent and conflicting news events jolt prices alternating up and down. The daily chart above shows these jolts over the last three weeks of wartime. We can identify three low-risk long trade entry opportunities (green up arrows on double bottom price scenarios) and one short trading one (red downward arrow at a double top price formation). Our quad exit strategy takes on each of these trades a partial initial profit to mitigate risk, which allows the remainder position size to be the market’s money at risk only.     Bitcoin, weekly chart, pushing up: Bitcoin in USD, weekly chart as of March 22nd, 2022. Zooming out to larger time frames is another way to avoid noise and see a trading scenario more clearly, and, as such, find “go times” with more accuracy. This weekly chart illustrates that entries and exits are rather entry zones (red and green boxes) versus a precise price level. The trader’s goal is to exploit within such a zone a low-risk entry spot on a lower time frame to get positioned. Regarding bitcoin, we find overall price behavior to be up sloping over the last twelve months, a bullish notion. And we find a high likelihood for the momentary entry zone (green box to the right of the chart). In other words, we are right now in a price zone where its Bitcoin´s time to go. Bitcoin, monthly chart, March closing price: Bitcoin in USD, monthly chart as of March 22nd, 2022. Suppose we further remove ourselves from the noise by electing a higher timeframe. In that case, we find a pat situation on the monthly chart, pat not for a more significant edge for prices to go higher up but for timing on when to enter the markets. Our statistics show that it will be essential on what price level the month of March will be closing. With a close above current levels (white line), we will enter a bullish buy zone. Yet, if prices decline from here in the last nine days of this month, the probabilities of an immediate price advance rapidly decline. Bitcoin/Gold-Ratio, daily chart, Bitcoin´s time to go: Bitcoin/Gold-Ratio, daily chart as of March 22nd, 2022. An additional benefit quiet charting provides in turbulent times is to think outside the box. While all noise points toward the most heated issues, finding a trading opportunity elsewhere might be best. In our previous chart book release, we exploited a great go time for bitcoin. Last week, we provided entry points (green up arrows) for rotating one’s gold into bitcoin. Using our quad exit strategy, the trader who wanted to not expose his money to a volatile fiat currency trading world could profit near ten percent on his first fifty percent of position size. We are now placing the stop for the remainder position size to breakeven entry levels. Bitcoin´s time to go: In war, the first casualty is the truth. Under stress, our minds insist on reason, clarity, precise calls for action. Unfortunately, even the best-informed brightest minds can’t find reliable data in times of war since the distortion field of media around the world is at a level where lies and propaganda outweigh facts and truth.  Luckily, a trader can, in these times, rely more heavily on charts. Charts always encompass the sum of opinion. Charts are consistently working as a reliable source to trade from.  The psychological aspect is hugely beneficial since a consistent bombardment of news and everybody’s opinion can get quickly exhausting.  Reduce news data consumption at a time when calm and levelheadedness is the most powerful tool for wealth creation and preservation, and the “go time” will reveal itself nearly effortlessly.     Feel free to join us in our free Telegram channel for daily real time data and a great community. If you like to get regular updates on precious metals and cryptocurrencies, you can also subscribe to our free newsletter. Disclosure: This article and the content are for informational purposes only and do not contain investment advice or recommendations. Every investment and trading move involves risk, and readers should conduct their own research when making a decision. The views, thoughts and opinions expressed here are the author’s alone. They do not necessarily reflect or represent the views and opinions of Midas Touch Consulting. By Korbinian Koller|March 22nd, 2022|Tags: Bitcoin, Bitcoin bounce, Bitcoin bullish, Bitcoin consolidation, bitcoin/gold-ratio, crypto analysis, crypto chartbook, DeFi, Gold, Gold bullish, low risk, quad exit, technical analysis, trading education|0 Comments About the Author: Korbinian Koller Outstanding abstract reasoning ability and ability to think creatively and originally has led over the last 25 years to extract new principles and a unique way to view the markets resulting in a multitude of various time frame systems, generating high hit rates and outstanding risk reward ratios. Over 20 years of coaching traders with heart & passion, assessing complex situations, troubleshoot and solve problems principle based has led to experience and a professional history of success. Skilled natural teacher and exceptional developer of talent. Avid learner guided by a plan with ability to suppress ego and empower students to share ideas and best practices and to apply principle-based technical/conceptual knowledge to maximize efficiency. 25+ year execution experience (50.000+ trades executed) Trading multiple personal accounts (long and short-and combinations of the two). Amazing market feel complementing mechanical systems discipline for precise and extreme low risk entries while objectively seeing the whole picture. Ability to notice and separate emotional responses from the decision-making process and to stand outside oneself and one’s concerns about images in order to function in terms of larger objectives. Developed exit strategies that compensate both for maximizing profits and psychological ease to allow for continuous flow throughout the whole trading day. In depth knowledge of money management strategies with the experience of multiple 6 sigma events in various markets (futures, stocks, commodities, currencies, bonds) embedded in extreme low risk statistical probability models with smooth equity curves and extensive risk management as well as extensive disaster risk allow for my natural capacity for risk-taking.

The Swing Overview - Week 11 The fall in the indices that we have seen in recent days has stopped. The indices strengthened on expectations of a diplomatic solution to the war in Ukraine, which has been going on for more than three weeks. However, these negotiations have not led to any significant breakthrough yet, so the upside potential for the indices could be limited. In addition, the Fed has started its own war against inflation and raised interest rates for the first time in three years, which is rather negative news for equity indices in the short term. However, the statistics say that in the long run it does not mean a trend reversal for the SP 500 index. The Bank of England also raised rates, but the pound surprisingly weakened. The reason for this is in our article. The war in Ukraine   The war in Ukraine has been going on for more than three weeks now and there is still no end in sight. Sentiment has started to improve after reports on negotiations for a diplomatic solution to the war. However, Russia continues to make unrealistic demands that Ukraine cannot agree to. Negotiations have therefore have not led to a solution yet.   Meanwhile, the economic situation in Russia continues to deteriorate rapidly as a result of the sanctions. The credit rating agency Standard & Poor's has downgraded Russia's credit rating from the current grade CCC- to CC. Russia has already announced that it is having difficulty repaying its bonds. However, Russia managed to pay the coupon payments that were due this week, averting the country's imminent bankruptcy for now.   The war in Ukraine will have a negative impact on the global economy. World economic growth for 2022 is expected to fall from 4% to 3.2%. Apart from Russia and Ukraine, Europe and the UK will be hardest hit, where there is a significant risk of recession.   The Fed has raised interest rates The US Fed has launched a war on inflation and raised interest rates for the first time since December 2018. The current rate is 0.50% and further increases will continue. The Fed disclosed that rates are expected to rise to 2.80% within a year.  Figure 1: The evolution of interest rates in the US   The evolution of interest rates, over the last 25 years, is shown in Figure 1.   Jerome Powell commented that the Fed's main goal is to achieve price stability and maximum employment. He expects inflation, which has now reached 7.9%, to reach the target of 2%, but this will take longer than originally expected.    The problem is a persistent labour shortage, which is putting upward pressure on wages. However, the situation is already starting to normalise in some sectors, suggesting that this should not be an uncontrollable spiral wage growth that would strongly support inflation.   According to Powell, the US economy is in good shape and ready for monetary policy normalisation. Therefore, the Fed will start in May to reduce the bonds in its balance sheet, which has grown considerably to almost $9 trillion thanks to the support of the economy during the covid pandemic.   The Index SP500 As far as the impact of interest rate hikes is concerned, this should not change the long-term bullish market. Statistics confirm that over the following 12 months from the date of the hike, the index has reached higher levels in every case since 1983. Figure 2: The impact of the first interest rate hike on the performance of the SP 500 index. Source: Bloomberg     However, the statistics also show that in the short term, there were declines in the index within 3 months and this cannot be ruled out now as well. As for the current developments on the SP 500 index, it has recently bounced off its supports. The reason for this was the hope for a diplomatic solution to the war in Ukraine. However, this has stalled. The Fed also gave optimism to the indices with its statement about the economy doing well. Figure 3: SP 500 on H4 and D1 chart   Overall, the index is currently in a downtrend. In terms of technical analysis, the price has reached the resistance level which is at 4,383 - 4,420. According to the daily chart, the price has reached the EMA 50 moving average, which also serves as resistance. Support according to the H4 chart is at 4,328 - 4,334.  Significant support according to the daily chart is at 4 105 - 4 152.  German DAX index Figure 4: The German DAX index on H4 and daily chart   There was a significant deterioration in economic sentiment in Germany in March, as shown by the ZEW index, which reached a negative reading of -39.3. However, the DAX index, which is much more affected by the war in Ukraine than the US indices, strengthened last week.  The reason for the index's rise was mainly due to signs of a diplomatic solution to the conflict. The price climbed up to the resistance level on the H4 chart last week, which is in the area near the 14,500 price. The strong resistance according to the daily chart is in the range between 14,800 - 15,000.  The closest support according to the H4 chart is at 14,030 - 14,100.   The euro strengthened after the Fed announcement The euro price retested the resistance area which is in the area near 1.1130 - 1.1150 according to the daily chart. However, the Euro remains under pressure and although the ECB was surprisingly hawkish at the last meeting, it is still lagging behind compared to the US Fed. Moreover, the war in Ukraine, and according to some, the looming recession in the Eurozone, does not give much room for the Euro to strengthen. Therefore, it would not be surprising if the EURUSD falls to levels around 1. 0890 - 1. 0900, where the nearest support level is.     Figure 5: The EURUSD on the H4 and daily charts.   From a technical point of view, we can see that EURUSD is still in a downtrend according to the daily chart, so the current pullback may be an opportunity for trades in the short direction.   The Bank of England also raised interest rates The Bank of England raised its key interest rate by 0.25%.  Therefore, the rate is currently at 0.75%. By raising interest rates, the central bank is responding to rising inflation, which is expected to hit 8% in June 2022. But the pound surprisingly weakened sharply after the rate announcement. This was because the central bank was much more cautious in its expectations for the future of the economy. There are already signs that the war in Ukraine is having a negative impact on consumer confidence and is also having a negative impact on household incomes. This would slow economic activity. That is why the central bank has moved away from its previous aggressive hawkish tone.   Figure 6: The British Pound on H4 and daily chart.   A resistance is in the area of 1.3170 - 1.3200, where the price has halted. A support is at 1.3000.  

TL;DR Hammer candlestick patterns are one of the most used patterns in technical analysis. Not only in crypto but also in stocks, indices, bonds, and forex trading. Hammer candles can help price action traders spot potential reversals after bullish or bearish trends. Depending on the context and timeframe, these candle patterns may suggest a bullish reversal at the end of a downtrend or a bearish reversal after an uptrend. Combined with other technical indicators, hammer candles may give traders good entry points for long and short positions. The bullish hammer candles include the hammer and inverted hammer, which appear after a downtrend. The bearish variations of hammer candles include the hanging man and the shooting star, which occur after an uptrend.   Introduction  The hammer candlestick is a pattern that works well with various financial markets. It is one of the most popular candlestick patterns traders use to gauge the probability of outcomes when looking at price movement. Combined with other trading methods such as fundamental analysis and other market analysis tools, the hammer candlestick pattern may provide insights into trading opportunities. This article will take you through what hammer candlestick patterns are and how to read them.   Learn more on Binance.com  How do candlesticks work? In a candlestick chart, every candle relates to one period, according to the timeframe you select. If you look at a daily chart, every candle represents one day of trading activity. If you look at a 4-hour chart, every candle represents 4 hours of trading. Each candlestick has an open price and close price that form the candle body. They also have a wick (or shadow), which indicates the highest and lowest prices within that period. If you’re new to candlestick charts, we recommend reading our Beginner’s Guide to Candlestick Charts first.   What is a hammer candlestick pattern? A hammer candlestick is formed when a candle shows a small body along with a long lower wick. The wick (or shadow) should have at least twice the size of the candle body. The long lower shadow indicates that sellers pushed the price down before buyers pushed it back up above the open price. Below you can see the opening price (1), the closing price (2), and the highs and lows that form the wick or shadow (3).     Bullish hammers Hammer candlestick pattern A bullish candlestick hammer is formed when the closing price is above the opening price, suggesting that buyers had control over the market before the end of that trading period.     Inverted hammer candlestick pattern An inverted hammer is formed when the opening price is below the closing price. The long wick above the body suggests there was buying pressure trying to push the price higher, but it was eventually dragged back down before the candle closed. While not as bullish as the regular hammer candle, the inverted hammer is also a bullish reversal pattern that appears after a downtrend.     Bearish hammers Hanging man candlestick The bearish hammer candlestick is known as a hanging man. It occurs when the opening price is above the closing price, resulting in a red candle. The wick on a bearish hammer indicates that the market experienced selling pressure, which suggests a potential reversal to the downside.     Shooting star candlestick The bearish inverted hammer is called a shooting star candlestick. It looks just like a regular inverted hammer, but it indicates a potential bearish reversal rather than a bullish one. In other words, shooting stars candlesticks are like inverted hammers that occur after an uptrend. They are formed when the opening price is above the closing price, and the wick suggests that the upward market movement might be coming to an end.     How to use hammer candlestick patterns to spot potential trend reversals Bullish hammer candles appear during bearish trends and indicate a potential price reversal, marking the bottom of a downtrend. In the example below, we have a bullish hammer candlestick (image from TradingView).     A bearish hammer candlestick can be either a hanging man or a shooting star. These appear after bullish trends and indicate a potential reversal to the downside. In the example below, we have a shooting star (image from TradingView).   As such, to use hammer candlesticks in trading, you need to consider their position in relation to previous and next candles. The reversal pattern will either be discarded or confirmed depending on the context. Let’s take a look at each type of hammer.   The strengths and weaknesses of the hammer candlestick patterns Every candlestick pattern has its pros and cons. After all, no technical analysis tool or indicator can guarantee a 100% profit in any financial market. The hammer candlestick chart patterns tend to work better when combined with other trading strategies, such as moving averages, trendlines, RSI, MACD, and Fibonacci. Strengths The hammer candlestick pattern can be used to spot trend reversals in any financial market. Traders can use hammer patterns in multiple timeframes, making them useful in both swing trading and day trading. Weakness Hammer candlestick patterns depend on the context. There is no guarantee that the trend reversals will occur. Hammer candlestick patterns are not very reliable by themselves. Traders should always combine them with other strategies and tools to increase the chance of success.   Hammer candlestick vs Doji: what’s the difference Dojis are like hammers without a body. A Doji candlestick opens and closes at the same price. While a hammer candlestick indicates a potential price reversal, a Doji usually suggests consolidation, continuation or market indecision. Doji candles are often neutral patterns, but they can precede bullish or bearish trends in some situations. The Dragonfly Doji looks like a hammer or hanging man without the body.      The Gravestone Doji is similar to an inverted hammer or a shooting star.   Still, hammers and Dojis don’t say much on their own. You should always consider the context, such as the market trend, surrounding candles, trading volume, and other metrics.     Closing thoughts Although the hammer candlestick pattern is a useful tool that helps traders spot potential trend reversals, these patterns alone aren't necessarily a buy or sell signal. Similar to other trading strategies, hammer candles are more useful when combined with other analysis tools and technical indicators. You should also make use of proper risk management, evaluating the reward ratio of your trades. You should also use stop-loss orders to avoid big losses in moments of high volatility.

Bitcoin wins the race   While Russia accepts hard currencies like gold, a move like this shows that the efficient attributes of bitcoin come to the forefront in times of crisis and are accepted for large business transactions between nations. Bitcoin, daily chart, price breakout: Bitcoin in USD, daily chart as of March 29th, 2022. Shortly after, president Putin confirmed this new way of doing business. In addition, China and Russia agreed to a thirty-year contract in the gas sector, transacted in Euros. We can see that we find ourselves in times of currency warfare and that it is essential to pay close attention to where and in what form we store our values. The daily chart above reflects this recent news in a price advance of bitcoin from US$37,567 to US$47,701. A 28% advance in just two weeks. Bitcoin broke through the sideways range, and this week shall show whether this breakout will be a successful one or not. In this case, the bulls have their odds much in favor over the bears.     Bitcoin, weekly chart, price left the station: Bitcoin in USD, weekly chart as of March 29th, 2022. We have now left the entry zone (green box) compared to last week’s chart book and the published weekly chart. While the crowd now chases a trade, struggling with the typical inefficiencies of volatility breakouts (bad fills, slippage, being late), we are established in our positioning with the sum of 9 accumulated runners. The runners being the last 25% of each initial position. A fully de-risked or more precisely no-risk venture (see quad exit)! Looking at the weekly chart, we find the resistance distribution zones at around US$49,650 and US$52,430. We place additional entries if the price returns to the entry box top. Bitcoin, monthly chart, if March closes strong: Bitcoin in USD, monthly chart as of March 28th, 2022. The price has entered the confirmed buy zone from a monthly perspective. The dual chart shows the progression from last week’s anticipation to this week’s chart book release. Should prices within this week stay within the green box, all-time frames are in alignment. A picture of a confirmed bullish bitcoin trend. It is a rare occurrence and confirmation for larger time frame traders and a call to look for low-risk entries, if no sufficient exposure is at play yet. Bitcoin/Gold-Ratio, daily chart, Bitcoin wins the race: Bitcoin/Gold-Ratio, daily chart as of March 28th, 2022. Another split-screen view of a chart (a daily chart of the bitcoin/gold ratio) shows the progression of last week’s chart book publication and the situation right now. We had a triangle breakout last week and a substantial advance since then. The suggested rotation out of gold and into bitcoin was/is a successful one. The overall move was 30% in just two weeks. One can use this relationship as well to indicate bitcoins’ recent gain in strength and direction. Bitcoin wins the race: Change is never accepted lightly. We typically resist change and prefer an existing state of affairs as human beings. Nevertheless, we find ourselves in less than average circumstances with a worldwide pandemic, a never-ending war, and a general divide in opinions. Russia’s recent move towards approval of bitcoin shows that when the rubber meets the road, what works and is practical in times of crisis and need, wins the race. While governments around the globe feverishly try to get their electronic payment systems developed, bitcoin already finds its use spreading, and successfully so.    Feel free to join us in our free Telegram channel for daily real time data and a great community. If you like to get regular updates on precious metals and cryptocurrencies, you can also subscribe to our free newsletter. Disclosure: This article and the content are for informational purposes only and do not contain investment advice or recommendations. Every investment and trading move involves risk, and readers should conduct their own research when making a decision. The views, thoughts and opinions expressed here are the author’s alone. They do not necessarily reflect or represent the views and opinions of Midas Touch Consulting. By Korbinian Koller|March 29th, 2022|Tags: Bitcoin, Bitcoin bounce, Bitcoin bullish, Bitcoin consolidation, bitcoin/gold-ratio, crypto analysis, crypto chartbook, DeFi, low risk, quad exit, technical analysis, trading education|0 Comments About the Author: Korbinian Koller Outstanding abstract reasoning ability and ability to think creatively and originally has led over the last 25 years to extract new principles and a unique way to view the markets resulting in a multitude of various time frame systems, generating high hit rates and outstanding risk reward ratios. Over 20 years of coaching traders with heart & passion, assessing complex situations, troubleshoot and solve problems principle based has led to experience and a professional history of success. Skilled natural teacher and exceptional developer of talent. Avid learner guided by a plan with ability to suppress ego and empower students to share ideas and best practices and to apply principle-based technical/conceptual knowledge to maximize efficiency. 25+ year execution experience (50.000+ trades executed) Trading multiple personal accounts (long and short-and combinations of the two). Amazing market feel complementing mechanical systems discipline for precise and extreme low risk entries while objectively seeing the whole picture. Ability to notice and separate emotional responses from the decision-making process and to stand outside oneself and one’s concerns about images in order to function in terms of larger objectives. Developed exit strategies that compensate both for maximizing profits and psychological ease to allow for continuous flow throughout the whole trading day. In depth knowledge of money management strategies with the experience of multiple 6 sigma events in various markets (futures, stocks, commodities, currencies, bonds) embedded in extreme low risk statistical probability models with smooth equity curves and extensive risk management as well as extensive disaster risk allow for my natural capacity for risk-taking.

The Swing Overview - Week 14 Equity indices weakened last week on news of rising interest rates and a tightening of the US economy. The euro is also weakening not only because it is under pressure from the ongoing war in Ukraine and sanctions against Russia, but also from the uncertainty of the upcoming French presidential election. The outbreak of the coronavirus in China has fuelled negative sentiment in oil, where the market fears an excess of supply over demand. The US dollar was the clear winner in this environment.  The USD index strengthens along with US bond yields According to the US Fed meeting minutes released on Wednesday, the Fed is prepared to reduce its balance sheet by the USD 95 billion per month from May this year.  In addition, the Fed is ready to raise interest rates at a pace of 0.50%. Thus, at the next meeting, which will take place in May, we can expect a rate increase from the current 0.50% to 1.00%. This option is already included in asset prices.     As a result of this the yields on US 10-year bonds continued to rise and has already reached 2.64%. The US dollar in particular is benefiting from this development and is approaching the level 100. Figure 1: US 10-year bond yields and USD index on the daily chart   Equity indices under pressure from high interest rates The prospect of aggressive interest rate hikes is having a negative impact on investor sentiment, particularly for growth stocks. However, it is positive for financial sector stocks. High yields on the US bonds are attractive to investors, who will thus prefer this yield to, for example, investments in gold, which does not yield any interest. Figure 2: SP 500 on H4 and D1 chart   The US SP 500 index is currently moving in a downward correction, which is shown on the H4 chart. Prices could move in a downward channel that is formed by a lower high and a lower low. The SP 500 according to the H4 chart is below the SMA 100 moving average, which also indicates bearish tendencies.   The nearest resistance according to the H4 chart is in the range of 4,513 - 4,520. The next resistance is around 4,583 - 4,600. A support is at 4 450 - 4 455.   German DAX index A declining channel has also formed for the DAX index. The price is below the SMA 100 moving average on the H4 chart, where at the same time the SMA 100 got below the EMA 50, which is a strong bearish signal. Figure 3: German DAX index on H4 and daily chart According to the H4 chart, the nearest resistance is in the range between 14,340 - 14,370. There is also a confluence with the moving average EMA 50 here. The next resistance is at 14,590 - 14,630. A support is at 14,030 - 14,100.   The DAX is influenced by the upcoming French presidential election, the outcome of which could have a major impact on the European economy.    The euro remains in a downtrend The Euro is negatively affected by the sanctions against Russia, which will also have a negative impact on the European economy. In addition, uncertainty has arisen regarding the French presidential election. Although the victory of the far-right candidate Marine Le Pen over the defending President Emmanuel Macron is still unlikely, the polls suggest that it is within the statistical margin of error. And this makes markets nervous.   A Le Pen victory would be bad for the economy and France's overall international image. It would weaken the European Union. That's why this news sent the euro below 1.09. The first round of elections will be held on Sunday April 10 and the second round on April 24, 2022.    Figure 4: EURUSD on H4 and daily chart. The nearest resistance according to the H4 chart is at 1.0930 - 1.0950. The significant resistance according to the daily chart is 1.1160 - 1.1190.  A support is at 1.080 - 1.0850.   According to the technical analysis, the euro is in a downtrend, but as it is currently at significant support levels, any short speculation could be considered only after the current support is broken and retested to validate the break.   The crude oil continues to descend The oil prices fell for a third straight day after the Paris-based International Energy Agency (IEA) announced it would release 60 million barrels of its members' reserves to the open market, adding to an earlier reserve release of 180 million barrels announced by the United States. In total, 240 million barrels would be delivered to the market over six months, resulting in a net inflow of 1.33 million barrels a day.   That would be more than triple the monthly production additions of 400,000 barrels per day by the world's oil producers under the OPEC+ alliance led by Saudi Arabia and controlled by Russia.   Adding to the negative sentiment on oil was a coronavirus outbreak in Shanghai, the largest in two years, which forced a more than week-long closure of China's second-largest city. This raises concerns about demand among oil consumers in the Chinese economy, which has a significant impact on prices. Figure 5: Brent crude oil on the H4 and daily charts. Brent crude oil is thus approaching support, which according to the H4 chart is at around USD 97-99 per barrel. The nearest resistance according to the H4 chart is at the price of USD 106 per barrel. The more significant resistance is at USD 111-112 per barrel of the Brent crude.   

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The Swing Overview - Week 16 Jerome Powell confirmed that the Fed will be aggressive in fighting the inflation and confirmed tighter interest rate hikes starting in May. Equity indices fell strongly after this news. Inflation in the euro area reached a record high of 7.4% in March. Despite this news, the euro continued to weaken. The sell-off also continued in the Japanese yen, which is the weakest against the US dollar in last 20 years.  The USD index strengthens along with US bond yields Fed chief Jerome Powell said on Thursday that the Fed could raise interest rates by 0.50% in May. The Fed could continue its aggressive pace of rate hikes in the coming months of this year. US 10-year bond yields have responded to this news by strengthening further and have already reached 2.94%. The US dollar has also benefited from this development and has already surpassed the value 100 and continues to move in an uptrend. Figure 1: US 10-year bond yields and USD index on the daily chart Earnings season is underway in equities Rising interest rates continue to weigh on equity indices, which gave back gains from the first half of the last week and weakened significantly on Thursday following the Fed’s information on the aggressive pace of interest rate hikes.   In addition, the earnings season, which is in full swing, is weighing on index movements. For example, Netflix and Tesla reported results last week.   While Netflix unpleasantly surprised by reducing the number of subscribers by 200,000 in 1Q 2022 and the company's shares fell by 35% in the wake of the news, Tesla, on the other hand, exceeded analysts' expectations and the stock gained more than 10% after the results were announced. Tesla has thus shown that it has been able to cope with the supply chain problems and higher subcontracting prices that are plaguing the entire automotive sector much better than its competitors.   The decline in Netflix subscribers can be explained by people starting to save more in an environment of rising prices. Figure 2: The SP 500 on H4 and D1 chart The SP 500 index continues to undergo a downward correction, which is shown on the H4 chart. The price has reached the resistance level at 4,514-4,520. The price continues to move below the SMA 100 moving average (blue line) on the daily chart which indicates bearish sentiment.  The nearest resistance according to the H4 chart is at 4,514 - 4,520. The next resistance is around 4,583 - 4,600. The support is at 4,360 - 4,365.   The German DAX index The DAX is also undergoing a correction and the last candlestick on the daily chart is a bearish pin bar which suggests that the index could fall further. Figure 3: The German DAX index on H4 and daily chart This index is also below the SMA 100 on the daily chart, confirming the bearish sentiment. The price has reached a support according to the H4 chart, which is at 14,340 - 14,370. However, this is very likely to be overcome quickly. The next support is 13 910 - 14 000. The nearest resistance is 14 592 - 14 632.   The DAX is affected by the French presidential election that is going to happen on Sunday April 24, 2022. According to the latest polls, Macron is leading over Le Pen and if the election turns out like this, it should not have a significant impact on the markets. However, if Marine Le Pen wins in a surprise victory, it can be very negative news for the French economy and would weigh on the DAX index as well.   The euro remains in a downtrend The Fed's hawkish policy and the ECB's dovish rhetoric at its meeting on Thursday April 14, 2022, which showed that the ECB is not planning to raise rates in the short term, put further pressure on the European currency. The French presidential election and, of course, the ongoing war in Ukraine are also causing uncertainty.  Figure 4: The EURUSD on the H4 and daily charts. The inflation data was reported last week, which came in at 7.4% on year-on-year basis. The previous month inflation was 5.9%. This rise in inflation caused the euro to strengthen briefly to the resistance level at 1.0930 - 1.0950. However, there was then a rapid decline from this level following the Fed's reports of a quick tightening in the economy. A support is at 1.0760 - 1.0780.   The sell-off in the Japanese yen is not over The Japanese yen is also under pressure. The US dollar has already reached 20-year highs against the Japanese yen (USD/JPY) and it looks like the yen's weakening against the US dollar could continue. This is because the Bank of Japan has the most accommodative monetary policy of any major central bank and continues to support the economy while the Fed will aggressively tighten the economy. Thus, this fundamental suggests that a reversal in the USD/JPY pair should not happen anytime soon. Figure 5: The USDJPY on the monthly chart In terms of technical analysis, the USD/JPY price broke through the strong resistance band around the price of 126.00 seen on the monthly chart. The currency pair thus has room to grow further up to the resistance, which is in the area near 135 yens per dollar.  

The Swing Overview – Week 17 Major stock indices continued in their correction and tested strong support levels. In contrast, the US dollar strengthened strongly and is at its highest level since January 2017. The strengthening of the dollar had a negative impact on the value of the euro and commodities such as gold, which fell below the $1,900 per ounce. The Bank of Japan kept interest rates low and the yen broke the magic level 130 per dollar. The USD index strengthened again but the US GDP declined The US consumer confidence in the month of April came in at 107.3, a slight decline from the previous month when consumer confidence was 107.6.   The US GDP data was surprising. The US economy decreased by 1.4% in 1Q 2022 (in the previous quarter the economy grew by 6.4%). This sharp decline surprised even analysts who expected the economy to grow by 1.1%. This result is influenced by the Omicron, which caused the economy to shut down for a longer period than expected earlier this year.    The Fed meeting scheduled for the next week on May 4 will be hot. In fact, even the most dovish Fed officials are already leaning towards a 0.5% rate hike. At the end of the year, we can expect a rate around 2.5%.   The US 10-year bond yields continue to strengthen on the back of these expectations. The US dollar is also strengthening and is already at its highest level since January 2017, surpassing 103 level.  Figure 1: US 10-year bond yields and the USD index on the daily chart   Earnings season is underway in equities Earnings season is in full swing. Amazon's results were disappointing. While revenue was up 7% reaching $116.4 billion in the first quarter (revenue was $108.5 billion in the same period last year), the company posted an total loss of $8.1 billion, which translated to a loss of $7.56 per share. This loss, however, is not due to operating activities, but it is the result of the revaluation of the equity investment in Rivian Automotive.   Facebook, on the other hand, surprised in a positive way posting unexpectedly strong user growth, a sign that its Instagram app is capable of competing with Tik Tok. However, the revenue growth of 6.6% was the lowest in the company's history.    Apple was also a positive surprise, reporting earnings per share of $1.52 (analysts' forecast was $1.43) and revenue growth of $97.3 billion, up 8.6% from the same period last year. However, the company warned that the closed operations in Russia, the lockdown in China due to the coronavirus and supply disruptions will negatively impact earnings in the next quarter.   Figure 2: The SP 500 on H4 and D1 chart In terms of technical analysis, the US SP 500 index is in a downtrend and has reached a major support level on the daily chart last week, which is at 4,150. It has bounced upwards from this support to the resistance according to the 4 H chart which is 4,308 - 4,313. The next resistance according to the H4 chart is 4,360 - 4,365.  The strong resistance is at 4,500.   German DAX index German businessmen are optimistic about the development of the German economy in the next 6 months, as indicated by the Ifo Business Climate Index, which reached 91.8 for April (the expectation was 89.1). However, this did not have a significant effect on the movement of the index and it continued in its downward correction. Figure 3: German DAX index on H4 and daily chart The index is below the SMA 100 on both the daily chart and the H4 chart, confirming the bearish sentiment. The nearest support according to the H4 is 13,600 - 13,650. The resistance is 14,180 - 14,200. The next resistance is 14,592 - 14,632.   The euro has fallen below 1.05 The euro lost significantly last week. While the French election brought relief to the markets as Emmanuel Macron defended the presidency, geopolitical tensions in Ukraine continue to weigh heavily on the European currency. The strong dollar is also having an impact on the EUR/USD pair, pushing the pair down. The price has fallen below 1.05, the lowest level since January 2017.    Figure 4: EURUSD on H4 and daily chart The euro broke through the important support at 1.0650 - 1.071, which has now become the new resistance. The new support was formed in January 2017 and is around the level 1.0350 - 1.040.   Japan's central bank continues to support the fragile economy The Bank of Japan on Thursday reinforced its commitment to keep interest rates at very low levels by pledging to buy unlimited amounts of 10-year government bonds daily, sparking a fresh sell-off in the yen and reviving government bonds. With this commitment, the BOJ is trying to support a fragile economy, even as a surge in commodity prices is pushing the inflation up.   The decision puts Japan in the opposite position to other major economies, which are moving towards tighter monetary policy to combat soaring prices. Figure 5: The USD/JPY on the monthly and daily chart In fresh quarterly forecasts, the central bank has projected core consumer inflation to reach 1.9% in the current fiscal year and then ease to 1.1% in fiscal years 2023 and 2024, an indication that it views the current cost-push price increases as transitory.   In the wake of this decision, the Japanese yen has continued to weaken and has already surpassed the magical level 130 per dollar.   Strong dollar beats also gold Anticipation of aggressive Fed action against inflation, which is supporting the US dollar, is having a negative impact on gold. The rising US government bond yields are also a problem for the yellow metal. This has put gold under pressure, which peaked on Thursday when the price reached USD 1,872 per ounce of gold. But then the gold started to strengthen. Indeed, the decline in the US GDP may have been something of a warning to the Fed and prevent them from tightening the economy too quickly, which helped gold, in the short term, bounce off a strong support. Figure 6: The gold on H4 and daily chart Strong support for the gold is at $1,869 - $1,878 per ounce. There is a confluence of horizontal resistance and the SMA 100 moving average on the daily chart. The nearest resistance according to the H4 chart is 1 907 - 1 910 USD per ounce. The strong resistance according to the daily chart is then 1 977 - 2 000 USD per ounce of gold. Moving averages on the H4 chart can also be used as a resistance. The orange line is the EMA 50 and the blue line is the SMA 100.  

The Swing Overview - Week 18 In the war against rising inflation, central banks in the US, the UK and Australia raised interest rates this week. Britain, meanwhile, warned of the risk of a recession. The CNB also raised rates. They have thus reached their highest levels since 1999. The key interest rate in the Czech Republic is now 5.75%.   The main stock indices have weakened strongly in response to the monetary tightening policies of the major economies and are at significant support levels. The negative sentiment on the indices is confirmed by the VIX fear indicator, which is above 30. The US dollar, on the other hand, continues to ride on the winning wave. The Fed raised interest rates by 0.5% The Fed raised rates by 0.5% points on Wednesday as expected, the highest jump in 22 years. This took the interest rate to 1%. The Fed chief announced that further half a percentage point rate hikes will continue at the next meetings in June and July. Powell also stated that the US economy is doing well and that it can withstand interest rate hikes without the risk of a recession and a significant increase in unemployment.   In addition to the rate hike, the Fed announced that in June it would begin reducing the assets on the bank's balance sheet that the central bank had accumulated during the pandemic. In June, July and August, the Fed will sell $45 billion of assets a month, and starting in September it will sell $95 billion a month.   Although Powell ruled out a 0.75% rate hike at the next meetings, interest rate futures markets continue to expect that possibility with about an 80% probability. Figure 1: The CME Fed Watch tool projections of the target interest rate for the next Fed meeting on June 15, 2022 Based on these expectations, US 10-year Treasury yields continue to strengthen and have surpassed the 3% mark. The US dollar is also strengthening and it is at the highest level since January 2017 and approaching 104.  Figure 2: The US 10-year bond yields and the USD index on the daily chart   Equity indices remain under pressure The SP 500 index initially rallied strongly following the announcement of the rate hike, after Powell ruled out a 0.75% rate hike in subsequent meetings. However, markets gave back all the gains the following day as interest rate futures continue to estimate an 80% probability that the next rate hike, which will take place in June 2022, will be 0.75%.   Figure 3: SP 500 on H4 and D1 chart Thus, in terms of technical analysis, the US SP 500 index continues to move in a downtrend below both the SMA 100 and EMA 50 moving averages with resistance, according to the 4 H chart, at 4,308 - 4,313. The next resistance, according to the H4 chart, is 4,360 - 4,365.  Strong resistance is at 4,500. The current support is 4 070 - 4 100.   German DAX index German industrial orders fell by 4.7% in March, which is more than expected. A major contributor to this negative result was a reduction in orders from abroad as the war in Ukraine hit demand in the manufacturing sector. The outlook is negative and some analysts suggest that the German economy is heading into recession. The reasons are the war in Ukraine, problems in supply chains and high inflation. The Dax index confirms these negative outlooks with a downward trend. Figure 4: German DAX index on H4 and daily chart The index continues to move below the SMA 100 on the daily chart and on the H4 chart, confirming the bearish sentiment. The nearest support according to the H4 is 13,600 - 13,650. Resistance is 14,300 - 14,330. The next resistance is 14,592 - 14,632.   The outlook for the euro remains negative HSBC bank on Thursday significantly cut its forecast for the euro, saying it expects the euro to weaken to parity against the US dollar this year, the first major investment bank to make such a prediction.   The post-pandemic economic environment, which has been damaged by the ongoing war in Ukraine, looks challenging for the European economy, potentially forcing the European Central Bank to tighten policy slowly compared to the U.S. Federal Reserve, which has begun an aggressive rate-hiking cycle.  This has raised the prospect of the single currency falling to levels not seen in two decades. HSBC said it expects the move to happen by the fourth quarter of 2022.   ECB board member Isabel Schnabel said this week that rates may need to be raised as early as July. The precursor to any rate hike must be an end to bond purchases and that could come in late June. Markets are pricing in a 90 basis point tightening in rates this year.   Figure 5: The EURUSD on H4 and daily chart The EUR/USD pair is in a clear downtrend with resistance at 1.0650 - 1.071. The important support is 1.05, but it has already been tested several times and could be broken soon. The next support is from January 2017 at around 1.0350 - 1.040.   The Czech koruna got another injection in the form of an interest rate hike The CNB raised the interest rate by 0.75%, which exceeded analysts' expectations who projected a 0.50% rise. The current rate now stands at 5.75%, the highest since 1999. Consumer price growth continues to rise and by raising the interest rate the central bank is trying to dampen this growth by raising the interest rate. Inflation is expected to reach 15% by mid-year. The CNB has an inflation target of 2% and inflation is expected to reach these levels in 2024.   The problem is economic growth, which is slowing significantly.  But maintaining price stability is clearly more important than the negative effects of higher rates on the real economy.  Figure 6: The USD/CZK and the EUR/CZK on the daily chart The Czech koruna has so far done best on the pair with the euro, as interest rates are zero on the euro. The koruna has been weakening significantly on the USD pair in recent days. The current significant resistance on the USD/CZK is CZK 23.50 per dollar and on the EUR/CZK it is 24.70.    Bank of England warned of recession and more than 10% inflation The Bank of England sent out a strong warning that Britain faces the twin dangers of recession and inflation above 10% when it raised interest rates by a quarter percentage point to 1% on Thursday. The pound fell more than a cent against the US dollar and hit its lowest level since mid-2020, below $1.24, as the gloominess of the BoE's new forecasts for the world's fifth-largest economy caught investors off guard.    The BoE also said it was also concerned about the impact of renewed COVID-19 lockdowns in China, which threaten to hit supply chains again and increase inflationary pressures.    The BoE's rate hike was the fourth since December, the fastest pace of policy tightening in 25 years. The central bank also revised up its price growth forecasts, which suggest it will peak above 10% in the final three months of this year. Previously, it had expected it to peak at around 8% in April. Markets expect interest rates to reach 2-2.25% by the end of 2022.  Figure 7: The GBP/USD on weekly and daily charts In terms of technical analysis, the GBP/USD is in a downtrend. The pound is trading at levels below 1.24 pounds per dollar and has reached to the support of 1.225-1.2330. The nearest resistance according to the weekly chart is at 1.2700-1.2750.   

The Swing Overview - Week 19 Stock indices continued to weaken strongly last week, while the US dollar has already surpassed the mark 104 and is at 20-year highs. However, a set of important data is behind us, which could bring some temporary relief to the equity markets. The Czech koruna weakened sharply after the appointment of the new CNB Governor Ales Michl, who is a proponent of a dovish approach. Thus, the rise in interest rates in the Czech Republic appears to be close to its peak.   Macroeconomic data The US consumer inflation for April was reported on Wednesday, which came in at 8.3% on year-on-year basis. Analysts were expecting inflation to be 8.1%. Although the figure achieved was higher than expectations, it was still lower than the 8.5% inflation figure achieved in March. On a month-on-month basis, the price increase in April was 0.3%, significantly lower than in March when prices rose by 1.5%.   On Thursday, industrial inflation was reported at 8.8% year-on-year and 0.4% month-on-month for April.   The positive thing about this data is that inflation declined from previous readings. However, it is important to note that the year-on-year comparison is based on data where inflation was also higher in the previous year due to the recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic.   The Fed chief reiterated that he expects another 0.50% point rise in interest rates at the next two Fed meetings. He also mentioned that a higher rate hike cannot be ruled out if necessary.   The US 10-year bond yields came down from their peak and made a slight correction. However, the US dollar continued to strengthen and broke the resistance at 104. The dollar is thus at 20-year highs. Figure 1: US 10-year bond yields and USD index on the daily chart   Equity indices heavily oversold The strong dollar, rising US bond yields, the war in Ukraine and the effects of the lockdown in China were the main reasons for the decline in equity indices. The SP 500 index hit 3,860, the lowest level since March 2021. This is also where long-term support is. However, the important macro data is behind us and the market has processed all the available fundamental information. This could bring temporary relief to the markets and the index could make an upward correction. The fall in 10-year bond yields, gives this move some boost as well.   Figure 2: The SP 500 on H4 and D1 chart However, from a technical analysis perspective, the US SP 500 index remains in a current downtrend as the markets have formed lower low and is also below both the SMA 100 and EMA 50 moving averages on the H4 and daily charts. The nearest resistance is 4040 - 4070. The next resistance is at 4,140 and especially 4,293 - 4,300. The support is at 3,860 - 3,900.   German DAX index In macroeconomic data, the German ZEW Economic Sentiment for May was reported last week and showed a reading of -34.3, an improvement from the previous month's reading of -41.0. Inflation in Germany for April is at 7.4% on year-on-year basis and up 0.8% from March (the previous month's increase was 2.5%). Figure 3: German DAX index on H4 and daily chart The index continues to move in a downtrend along with the major world indices. The price has reached the SMA 100 moving average on the H4 chart, which tends to signal resistance in a downtrend. The price is moving below the SMA 100 on both the daily chart and the H4 chart, confirming the bearish sentiment. The nearest support according to the H4 is 13,600 - 13,650. The resistance is 14,300 - 14,330. The next resistance is 14,592 - 14,632.   The big sell-off in the euro continues The euro fell to 1.0356 against the dollar, the lowest value since January 2017. This value is also an area of significant support where price could stall. Fundamentally, the euro's depreciation is due to the strong dollar and the Fed's hawkish policy, which contrasts with the ECB's policy of not raising rates yet.    Figure 4: The EURUSD on H4 and daily chart Eurozone inflation data will be reported next week, which could be an important catalyst for further movement. The significant support is priced around 1.0350 - 1.040. The current resistance is at 1.05.   Czech koruna weakened strongly on the new governor appointment The President Miloš Zeman surprised with the appointment of Ales Michl for the governor of the CNB. Michl is known for his dovish views, having spoken out against raising interest rates at recent meetings. His appointment was welcomed in the markets by a strong depreciation of the Czech koruna. However, the bank later intervened in the markets by selling part of its foreign exchange reserves to prevent further depreciation of the Czech koruna.   It is important to know that the Bank's monetary policy is decided by the seven-member Bank Board. So far, the proportion for voting on rate hikes has been 5:2. But by the end of June, the president must appoint 3 new board members. This could significantly change the voting ratio on the board and set a new course for the bank's policy, which would mean a halt to the rise in interest rates. However, it is likely that at the June board meeting the board, still with the old composition, will decide on further interest rate increases. Figure 5: The USD/CZK and the EUR/CZK on the daily chart The Czech koruna has reached 24.36 against the dollar and 25.47 against the euro, from which it started to descend after the CNB interventions.  

Meet Stuart McPhee, Eightcap’s newest guest market analyst. Stuart is a private equity and FX trader with over 20 years of experience in the industry, having made guest appearances on ASX, CNA, CNBC, and Sky News Business. Whilst being an accomplished bestselling author, Stuart is also considered to be Australia’s most compelling keynote speaker on everything trading, who has delivered countless talks to tens of thousands of traders at investment expos all around the world. He has helped countless traders improve their performance with his expertise in technical analysis, trading psychology, risk management, the trading process, and developing a trading plan. If you would like to know more about Stuart, check out his best-selling book, Trading in a Nutshell, 4th Edition. To keep up-to-date with Stuart, follow him on Twitter and LinkedIn for more information. The post Introducing June’s Trade Zone Guest Analyst Stuart McPhee appeared first on Eightcap.

Summary: HP second quarter earnings beats market expectations. Read next: (IXIC) NASDAQ Caught In Tuesdays Volatile Trading, New Zealand Dollar (NZD)  HP Earnings announcement on Tuesday In the wake of earnings data that beat market expectations, the HP share price rose. HP’s second quarter earnings data beat analysts profit forecasts, powered by steady sales of commercial computers as their customers continue to bring workers back to face-to-face working in the post-covid world. HP reported that profits rose 18% in the second quarter. The CEO of HP indicated that no data in their earnings suggest a future economic slowdown. Both net sales and diluted EPS exceeded wall street forecasts. HPQ Price Chart Sources: finance.yahoo.com

The Swing Overview – Week 20 The markets remain volatile and fragile, as shown by the VIX fear index, which has again surpassed the level 30 points. However, equity indices are at interesting supports and there could be some short-term recovery. The euro has bounced off its support in anticipation of tighter monetary policy and the gold is holding its price tag above $1,800 per troy ounce. Is the gold back in investors' favor again? Macroeconomic data The week started with a set of worse data from the Chinese economy, which showed that industrial production contracted by 2.9% year-on-year basis and the retail sales fell by 11.1%. The data shows the latest measures for the country's current COVID-19 outbreak are taking a toll on the economy. To support the slowing economy, China cut its benchmark interest rate by 0.15% on Friday morning, more than analysts expected. While this will not be enough to stave off current downside risks, markets may respond to expectation of more easing in the future. On a positive note, data from the US showed retail sales rose by 0.9% in April and industrial production rose by 1.1% in April. Inflation data in Europe was important. It showed that inflation in the euro area slowed down a little, reaching 7.4% in April compared to 7.5% in March. In Canada, on the other hand, the inflation continued to rise, reaching 6.8% (6.7% in March) and in the UK inflation was 9% in April (7% in the previous month). Several factors are contributing to the higher inflation figures: the ongoing war in Ukraine, problems in logistics chains and the effects of the lockdown in China. Concerns about the impact of higher inflation are showing up in the bond market. The benchmark 10-year US Treasury yield has come down from the 3.2% it reached on 9 May and is currently at 2.8%. This means that demand for bonds is rising and they are once again becoming an asset for times of uncertainty.  Figure 1: US 10-year bond yields and USD index on a daily chart   Equity indices on supports Global equities fell significantly in the past week, reaching significant price supports. Thus, there could be some form of short-term bounce. Although a cautious rally began on Thursday, which was then boosted by China's decision to cut interest rates in the early hours of Friday, there is still plenty of fear among investors and according to Louis Dudley of Federated Hermes, cash holdings have reached its highest level since September 2001, suggesting strong bearish sentiment. Supply chain problems have been highlighted by companies such as Cisco Systems, which has warned of persistent parts shortages. That knocked its shares down by 13.7%. The drop made it the latest big-stock company to post its biggest decline in more than a decade last week. The main risks that continue to cause volatility and great uncertainty are thus leading investors to buy "safe" assets such as the US bonds and the Swiss franc. Figure 2: The SP 500 on H4 and D1 chart From a technical analysis perspective, the US SP 500 index continues to move in a downtrend as the market has formed a lower low while being below both the SMA 100 and EMA 50 moving averages on the H4 and daily charts. The nearest resistance is 4,080 - 4,100. The next resistance is at 4,140 and especially 4,293 - 4,300. Support is at 3,860 - 3,900 level. German DAX index The index continues to move in a downtrend along with the major world indices. The price has reached the support which is at 13,680 – 13,700 and the moving average EMA 50 on the H4 chart is above the SMA 100. This could indicate a short-term signal for some upward correction. However, the main trend according to the daily chart is still downwards. The nearest resistance is at 14,260 - 14,330 level. Figure 3: German DAX index on H4 and daily chart The euro has bounced off its support The EUR/USD currency pair benefited last week from the US dollar moving away from its 20-year highs while on the euro, investors are expecting a tightening economy and a rise in interest rates, which the ECB has not risen yet as one of the few banks. Figure 4: The EURUSD on H4 and daily chart   Significant support is at the price around 1.0350 - 1.040. Current resistance is at 1.650 - 1.700.   The Gold in investors' attention again The gold has underperformed over the past month, falling by 10% since April when the price reached USD 2,000 per ounce. But there is now strong risk aversion in the markets, as indicated by the stock markets, which have fallen. The gold, on the other hand, has started to rise. Inflation fears are a possible reason, and investors have begun to accumulate the gold for protection against rising prices. The second reason is that the gold is inversely correlated with the US dollar. The dollar has come down from its 20-year highs, which has allowed the gold to bounce off its support.  Figure 5: The gold on H4 and daily chart The first resistance is at $1,860 per ounce. The support is at $1,830 - $1,840 per ounce. The next support is then at $1,805 - $1,807 and especially at $1,800 per ounce.

The Swing Overview – Week 25 There was a rather quiet week in which the major world stock indices shook off previous losses and have been slowly rising since Monday. However, this is probably only a temporary correction of the current bearish trend.  The CNB Bank Board met for the last time in its old composition and raised the interest rate to 7%, the highest level since 1999. However, the koruna barely reacted to this increase. The reason is that the main risks are still in place and fear of a recession keeps the markets in a risk-off sentiment that benefits the US dollar. Macroeconomic data We had a bit of a quiet week when it comes to macroeconomic data in the US. Industrial production data was reported, which grew by 0.2% month-on-month in May, which is less than the growth seen in April, when production grew by 1.4%. While the growth is slower than expected, it is still growth, which is a positive thing.   In terms of labor market data, the number of jobless claims held steady last week, reaching 229k. Thus, compared to the previous week, the number of claims fell by 2 thousand.   The US Dollar took a break in this quiet week and came down from its peak which is at 106, 86. Overall, however, the dollar is still in an uptrend. The US 10-year bond yields also fell last week and are currently hovering around 3%. The fall in bond yields was then a positive boost for equity indices. Figure 1: US 10-year bond yields and USD index on the daily chart   The SP 500 Index The SP 500 index has been gaining since Monday, June 20, 2022. However, this is probably not a signal of a major bullish reversal. Fundamental reasons still rather speak for a weakening and so it could be a short-term correction of the current bearish trend. The rise is probably caused by long-term investors who were buying the dip. Next week the US will report the GDP data which could be the catalyst for further movement.  Figure 2: The SP 500 on H4 and D1 chart   The index has currently reached the resistance level according to the H4 chart, which is in the region of 3,820 - 3,836. The next strong resistance is then in the area of 3,870 - 3,900 where the previous support was broken and turned into the resistance. The current nearest support is 3 640 - 3 670.    German DAX index The manufacturing PMI for June came in at 52.0. The previous month's PMI was 54.8. While a value above 50 indicates an expected expansion, it must be said that the PMI has essentially been declining since February 2022. This, together with other data coming out of Germany, suggests a certain pessimism, which is also reflected in the DAX index. Figure 3: German DAX index on H4 and daily chart The DAX broke support according to the H4 chart at 12,950 - 12,980 but then broke back above that level, so we don't have a valid breakout. Overall, however, the DAX is in a downtrend and the technical analysis does not show a stronger sign of a reversal of this trend yet. The nearest resistance according to the H4 chart is 13,130 - 13,190. The next resistance is then at 13 420 - 13 440. Strong support according to the daily chart is 12,443 - 12,600.   Eurozone inflation at a new record Consumer inflation in the Eurozone for May rose by 8.1% year-on-year as expected by analysts. On a month-on-month basis, inflation added 0.8% compared to April. The rise in inflation could support the ECB's decision to raise rates possibly by more than the 0.25% expected so far, which is expected to happen at the July meeting.  Figure 4: EUR/USD on H4 and daily chart From a technical perspective, the euro has bounced off support on the pair with the US dollar according to the daily chart, which is in the 1.0340 - 1.0370 range and continues to strengthen. Overall, however, the pair is still in a downtrend. The US Fed has been much more aggressive in fighting inflation than the ECB and this continues to put pressure on the bearish trend in the euro. The nearest resistance according to the H4 chart is at 1.058 - 1.0600. Strong resistance according to the daily chart is at 1.0780 - 1.0800.   The Czech National Bank raised the interest rate again Rising inflation, which has already reached 16% in the Czech Republic, forced the CNB's board to raise interest rates again. The key interest rate is now at 7%. The last time the interest rate was this high was in 1999. This is the last decision of the old Bank Board. In August, the new board, which is not clearly hawkish, will decide on monetary policy. Therefore, it will be very interesting to see how they approach the rising inflation.   The current risks, according to the CNB, are higher price growth at home and abroad, the risk of a halt in energy supplies from Russia and generally rising inflation expectations. The lingering risk is, of course, the war in Ukraine. The CNB has also decided to continue intervening in the market to keep the Czech koruna exchange rate within acceptable limits and prevent it from depreciating, which would increase import inflation pressures. Figure 5: The USD/CZK and The EUR/CZK on the daily chart Looking at the charts, the koruna hardly reacted at all to the CNB's decision to raise rates sharply. Against the dollar, the koruna is weakening somewhat, while against the euro the koruna is holding its value around 24.60 - 24.80. The appreciation of the koruna after the interest rate hike was probably prevented by uncertainty about how the new board will treat inflation, and also by the fact that there is a risk-off sentiment in global markets and investors prefer so-called safe havens in such cases, which include the US dollar.  

The Australian dollar closed the day down 95 points on Friday, having worked out one of the embedded lines of the falling price channel (daily) with a lower shadow. This morning the price is trying to get above the resistance of 0.6439. In the event of consolidating above the level, the price may continue to grow towards the target resistance of 0.6515. The Marlin Oscillator is already turning into a correction. The price's return to the area under the Friday low, or rather, under the line of the price channel of 0.6385, opens the target along the underlying parallel line in the area of the price level of 0.6330. On a four-hour scale, the price is attacking the resistance level of 0.6439 and at the same time the Marlin Oscillator is trying to move into the zone of positive values. If such a synchronous qualitative transition takes place, then the aussie will continue its short-term growth, but it may not reach the 0.6515 target, since the MACD line is already passing under this level, and over time it will be lower and lower, creating its own resistance. We are waiting for the correction to end and the price to return to a new downward wave.   Relevance up to 04:00 2022-10-04 UTC+2 Company does not offer investment advice and the analysis performed does not guarantee results. The market analysis posted here is meant to increase your awareness, but not to give instructions to make a trade. Read more: https://www.instaforex.eu/forex_analysis/323206

TL;DR Average True Range (ATR) is a commonly used technical analysis indicator for estimating market volatility over a given period. Used as a tool to determine volatility, ATR was created by technical analyst J. Welles Wilder Jr. in his book "New Concepts in Technical Trading Systems", published in 1978.  Within a 14-day period, ATR can be used to calculate and provide estimated price volatility across different true ranges to determine an average. While ATR has various benefits, including as an aid for traders to determine stop-loss prices, it does have some limitations.   Introduction Trading is well known for its volatility, especially with cryptocurrencies. Traders often look to take advantage of these price movements and attempt to predict them. One possible method is technical analysis and price volatility indicators like Average True Range (ATR). For many traders, it's a valuable tool to understand and add to their technical analysis toolkit.  Learn more on Binance.com What is Average True Range?  ATR was created by technical analyst J. Welles Wilder Jr. in 1978 as a tool to measure volatility. ATR has since become one of the most well-known forms of technical volatility indicators.  It's now a significant part of other indicators that identify the directional movement of markets, such as Average Directional Movement Index (ADX) and Average Directional Movement Index Rating (ADXR). With ATR, traders try to determine an optimal period to trade volatile swings. The indicator calculates the market's average price of assets within a 14-day range. ATR doesn't provide trend information or price direction but offers a view of price volatility during that period. A high ATR implies high price volatility during the given period, and a low ATR indicates low price volatility.  When determining if they want to buy or sell assets during the period, these low or high price volatilities are what traders consider. It's important to note that ATR only approximates price volatility and should be used solely as an aid. How do you calculate Average True Range? To calculate ATR, you must find a given period's greatest true range or TR. This means calculating three different ranges and picking the greatest of the three: The latest period's high subtracted by the latest period's low The absolute value (ignoring any negative sign) of the latest period's high minus the previous close price The absolute value of the latest period's low minus the previous close price The period can vary depending on the trader's focus period. For example, with crypto, the period could be 24 hours, while for stocks, it may be a single trading day. To determine the average true range over a period of time (typically 14 days), the true range is calculated for each period and summated, and a simple average is taken.  Determining the ATR of said period allows traders to learn about the volatility of asset prices during that time. Typically, a trader will see ATR displayed as a line on their charts. Below, you can see that the ATR line rises as volatility increases (in either price direction). Why do cryptocurrency traders use Average True Range? Cryptocurrency traders often use ATR to estimate price volatility during a period. ATR is particularly beneficial in crypto due to the high volatility seen in crypto markets. One common strategy is to use ATR to set take-profit and stop-loss orders. When using ATR in this way, you can avoid market noise affecting your trading strategies. If you're trying to trade a suspected long-term trend, you don't want daily volatility closing your positions early. A typical method is multiplying the ATR by 1.5 or 2, then using this figure to set the stop-loss under your entry price. The daily volatility shouldn't reach your stop-loss trigger price; if it does, it's a good indicator that the market is moving significantly downwards. What are the drawbacks of using Average True Range? While ATR provides benefits to its users for its adaptability and price change detection, it comes with two main disadvantages: 1. ATR is often open to interpretation. This can be a disadvantage as no single ATR value can clearly specify if a trend will be reversed or not.  2. As ATR only measures price volatility, it doesn't inform traders of the change in an asset's price direction. One example is when there is a sudden increase in ATR, some traders might believe it is confirming an old upwards or downwards trend, which can be false. Closing thoughts  ATR is vital in many traders' toolkits for understanding volatility patterns. As volatility is a key consideration in cryptocurrency trading, it’s particularly well-suited for digital crypto assets. Its strengths lie in its simplicity, but do take note of its limitations if you decide to experiment with it in your trading activities.

If you want to invest in the stock market, it is worth taking care of the necessary knowledge. Technical analysis of listed companies should be carried out before deciding to purchase any shares. Definition Technical analysis is the oldest form of analysis in the stock market. It was used as early as the 17th century by Japanese rice traders to analyze the price trend of rice. Technical analysis studies, mainly using graphical charts, how the prices of securities will develop based on the analysis of their changes in the past. This technique involves comparing current price movements with similar price movements in the past in order to predict the likely outcome of such price movements. When we talk about technical analysis, we mean studying the behavior of stock prices in order to minimize losses and maximize profits. The purpose of this analysis is to adapt to the current situation in order to earn as much as possible. This analysis is based on the analysis of human behavior. Therefore, investors and speculators react the same way to the same types of events every time. Pillars of technical analysis Analysts can use four main factors to develop an investment strategy: price, trading volume, time, feelings Price is the most important area of analysis. We can measure profits and losses arising from price differences between purchase and sale. Trading volume analysis is primarily distribution and accumulation, market width, number of open positions and concluded transactions. Time is seasonality, the length of the cycle, as well as the mutual arrangement of formations and trends. Feelings are subjective and determine whether most investors are going too far in one direction. Technical analysis of financial markets is used to determine the likely price of a given stock, using historical price data as well as other factors that affect it. There are various programs for technical analysis available on the market, a large part of them is available completely free of charge, also through specialized stock market portals that provide charts and data and have a module for technical analysis. Technical analysis is based on the idea that prices follow trends. They are located in certain directions of changes in market prices. Therefore, they depend on how much a given trend will continue and when it will reverse or a new one will be established. Tools Two groups of tools are used in technical analysis to carry out analyses. These are charts of stock prices in the past and technical indicators. Charts reveal certain graphical patterns that show how stock prices have developed in the past. These are called technical patterns and tend to repeat themselves. Thanks to this, they make it possible to forecast the direction of changes in share prices in the future. Technical indicators, on the other hand, show the current state of markets. In technical analysis, various indicators are used to show market behavior. It's a certain data field. It is plotted on the graph as a curve, line, histogram or point. Technical analysis indicators are often derived from the price rate. Often, especially novice traders, they try to use as many indicators as possible and combine them all together to get the best picture of the market and increase the success of their trade. Unfortunately, using more indicators on one chart does not increase the chances of success, on the contrary, it hinders it, because the investor may receive conflicting data. Technical analysis indicators We distinguish e.g. the following categories of technical analysis indicators: Oscillators – a group of indicators that “oscillate” between certain values. They are used in various ways, e.g. to read discrepancies, neutral market conditions or estimates. They are effective, especially when there is no clear market trend. Additionally, oscillators warn when a trend is losing momentum before it is visible on the price chart. In turn, divergences, i.e. differences in the behavior of the price and the oscillator, are a warning before the end of a given upward or downward trend. The most popular oscillators are, for example, the indicator of change (ROC) and the MACD. Momentum - these are indicators based on the current momentum of the price - its momentum, speed and strength. Momentum indicators measure the strength and speed of price movements. An example of such an indicator is the RSI. Trend indicators – can better identify the current trend and possibly its changes. Usually, these are periodic indicators that are counted several episodes back in time. Source: Borowski K. (2017), Analiza techniczna. Åšrednie ruchome wskaźniki i oscylatory, Zaremba A. (2014), GieÅ‚da. Podstawy inwestowania,

Trend analysis (Fig. 1) EUR/USD may start moving downwards from the level of 1.0706 (closing of Friday's daily candle) towards the support level of 1.0673 (thick white line). Upon testing the level, it will resume going up to the target level of 1.0773, which is the upper fractal level (yellow dotted line).     Fig. 1 (daily chart) Comprehensive analysis: Indicator analysis - downtrend Fibonacci levels - downtrend Volumes - downtrend Candlestick analysis - uptrend Trend analysis - uptrend Bollinger bands - uptrend Weekly chart - uptrend Conclusion: EUR/USD will decline from 1.0706 (closing of Friday's daily candle) to the support level of 1.0673 (thick white line), then bounce up the upper fractal at 1.0773 (yellow dotted line). Alternatively, the pair could climb up from 1.0706 (closing of Friday's daily candle) to the upper fractal at 1.0735, then fall down to the support level of 1.0656 (thick white line). Relevance up to 06:00 2023-01-03 UTC+1 Company does not offer investment advice and the analysis performed does not guarantee results. The market analysis posted here is meant to increase your awareness, but not to give instructions to make a trade. Read more: https://www.instaforex.eu/forex_analysis/331261

BTC/USD BTC/USD has been trading upside as I expected and I found the breakout of the well defined sideways range, which is good sign for the higher prices.   Due to the breakout of the well defined range and the upside trend on the mid and long term cycles, I see potetnial for the higher process after the downside correction.   Upside objectives are set at the price of $29.145 and $29.870 Stochastic oscillator is showing oversold condition and fresh bull cross, which is another sign for the upside movement.   Key support cluster is set at the price of $25.900    

Trend analysis. The market may move upward from the level of 1.0724 (closing of Friday's daily candle) with the target of 1.0758, the 14.6% pullback level (red dotted line). When testing this level, the price may move downward with the target of 1.0737, the 61.8% pullback level (yellow dotted line).       Comprehensive analysis: Indicator analysis - up; Fibonacci levels - up; Volumes - up; Candlestick analysis - up; Trend analysis - down; Bollinger bands - down; Weekly chart - up.     Today, the price may move upward from the level of 1.0724 (closing of Friday's daily candle) with the target of 1.0758, the 14.6% pullback level (red dotted line). When testing this level, the price may move downward with the target of 1.0737, the 61.8% pullback level (yellow dotted line). Alternatively, the price may move upward from the level of 1.0724 (closing of Friday's daily candle) with the target of 1.0758, the 14.6% pullback level (red dotted line). When testing this level, the price may continue to move upwards with the target of 1.0794, the 23.6% pullback level (red dotted line).  

USD/CAD has been trading downside and I found the breakout of the support cluster at the price of 1.3590, which is good sign for the further downside movement.   Due to the breakout of the support cluster and the increasing in the downside movement, I see potential for the further lower prices towards downside references.   Downside objectives are set at 1.3540 and 1.3490 MACD is showing increasing of the downside momentum, which is good sign for the further lower prices.... Key resistance is set at the price of 1.3650  

GBP/USD may start moving upward this week, starting from the level of 1.2344 (closing of the last weekly candle) to 1.2499, which is a historical resistance level (blue dashed line). Upon reaching this price, the pair will climb further to 1.2678, which is an upper fractal (red dashed line).   Comprehensive analysis: Indicator analysis - upward Fibonacci levels - upward Volumes - upward Candlestick analysis - upward Trend analysis - downward Bollinger bands - upward Monthly chart - upward       All these point to an upward movement in GBP/USD. Conclusion: Most likely, the pair will have a bullish trend, with no first lower shadow on the weekly white candle (Monday - upward) and a second upper shadow (Friday - downward).   So during the week, pound will rise from 1.2344 (closing of the last weekly candle) to the historical resistance level at 1.2499 (blue dashed line), and then head to the upper fractal at 1.2678 (red dashed line).   Alternatively, the quote could go up from 1.2344 (closing of last week's candle) to the historical resistance level at 1.2499 (blue dashed line), and then turn around and fall down to the 38.2% retracement level at 1.2342 (red dashed line).  

Forex Analysis & Reviews: Technical Analysis of Daily Price Movement of S&P 500 Index, Monday May 29, 2023   With the price movement in the channel that dips upwards and the two Moving Averages which are still in Golden Cross condition on the daily chart, we can see that Buyers are still dominating the S&P 500 index so that in the next few days #SPX has the potential to appreciate an upward rally up to penetrate above the level of 4216.17 and if this level is successfully broken above then the SPX still has the potential to go to the upper line of the bullish channel and/or the level of 4324.96 but please also pay attention if there is a downward correction which is indicated by the appearance of deviations between price movements and the MACD indicator because if a correction occurs If it breaks below the level of 4070.35 then all scenarios of a rally up above that have been described previously will become invalid.        

NZDJPY resistance at 8555/75. Shorts need stops above 8590.  Targets: 8520, 8480.      CADJPY continues higher as expected but I have not managed to get us in to a long. I should have had us buying on a break above 102.90 so I will use this as a support today. Longs at 102.90/70, stop below 102.50.          EURJPY we unfortunately missed buying at first support at 149.75-65 by only 3 pips.  GBPCAD stuck in a 2 week range but longs at support at 167.60/40 worked last week on the bounce to my target of 168.55. Try longs again at support at 167.60/40 - stop below 167.10.   Targets: 168.20, 168.55, 168.80.Resistance at 1.6880/1.6900. Shorts need stops above 1.6920. Targets: 1.6845, 1.6820.    EURUSD collapsed as predicted on Sunday last week & finally hit my target & Fibonacci support at Fibonacci 1.0730/20, although we over ran to 1.0700. On Friday as predicted we did recover a little to my first target of target  1.0750/60 with a high for the day exactly here.  No buy signal yet but a break above 1.0750/60 tests strong resistance at 1.0790/1.0810. I would try a short here with stop above 1.0830. Longs at 1.0730/10 could be risky but if you try, stop below 1.0695.  A break below 1.0695 this week should be a sell signal & can target 1.0630, then 1.0600, perhaps as far as 1.0570.       GBPUSD bounced from just above good support at 1.2290/80 in severely oversold conditions which was as expected. The pair beat minor resistance at 1.2360/70 but a short position at 1.2390/1.2400 worked perfectly with a high for the day exactly here & a nice tumble to my targets of 1.2340 & 1.2320. A low for the day exactly here in fact.  Could hardly have been more accurate on the levels for GBPUSD last week. Again shorts at 1.2390/1.2400 should stop loss above 1.2420. Targets: 1.2340 & 1.2320. I am not going to suggest a long as I think there is a good chance we will continue lower this week. Watch for a break below the 100 day moving average at 1.2290/80 to trigger further losses despite severely oversold conditions.

EUR: Can China come to the euro's rescue? EUR/USD has quietly slipped below support at 1.0700/1.0720 and may be gently making its way to the March lows at 1.0515/0530. As we mentioned last week, we think   EUR/USD is relatively cheap given the massive reversal in energy prices over the last year and that, in time, the 1.05/1.07 area will come to be seen as a summer base.   Helping that proposition would be some kind of recovery in China. The release of the China Beige Book has shown some recovery in the China manufacturing sector in May.   Official May Chinese PMI figures are released later this week. A bounceback here, helping to reverse the recent run-up in USD/CNH, could provide the euro with some support.   For today, the eurozone focus will be on the release of industrial and consumer confidence figures for May. Consensus expects some further deterioration here and if so this should keep EUR/USD on the soft side. We will also hear from a raft of ECB speakers today.   Expect more hawkish rhetoric especially in advance of the May eurozone CPI data on Thursday. Consensus expects core eurozone CPI to edge lower to 5.5% year-on-year in May. Another upside surprise here – feeding the sticky inflation narrative – warns that investors could return to pricing a 4.00% ECB deposit rate.   - Chris Turner

Crypto Industry News: Peter Schiff, a well-known economist and investor, has supported blockchain and NFT technology. Given his previous positions on digital assets, Schiff unexpectedly expressed his enthusiasm on Twitter for a new art project.   Schiff expressed his excitement about collaborating with Market Price on a joint work that would combine conventional elements of art with blockchain. The goal of these efforts is a unique work of art called "Golden Triumph".   Art lovers and collectors will also be able to purchase a set of prints that have been permanently stored on the Bitcoin blockchain. Given Schiff's long-standing distrust of this technology and cryptocurrencies, this news came as a shock to many. His support for Bitcoin shows how his views on the convergence of art, technology and investing are changing. Schiff has repeatedly said that Bitcoin is a "bubble" with no intrinsic value that will soon burst.   The economist claimed that Bitcoin and most cryptocurrencies are not real currencies and are too volatile. Schiff's recent tweets on blockchain and NFT seem to contradict his earlier position. In 2021, he questioned the value of owning a digital NFT image. The fact that Schiff is now involved in a work of art using blockchain technology is proof that he appreciated the unique features of this technology and its practical applications.   Technical Market Outlook: The ETH/USD pair has broken below the short-term technical resistance located at the level of $1,865 and made a local high at the level of $1,928. The local low was made at the level of $1,874, but the market is still under the bullish pressure.   The momentum is strong and positive on the H4 time-frame chart, however, the bulls hit the extremely overbought level, so a pull-back is welcome. The bigger time frame trend remains down.

EUR/USD On Tuesday, the euro went through a correction, defined by the convergence with the Marlin oscillator. The price once again tested the target level of 1.0738 and the embedded line of the descending channel. The signal line of the oscillator has entered its own descending channel.     According to the main scenario, the price can now consolidate below the support level of 1.0692 and continue moving towards 1.0620, which is the lower embedded line of the price channel. The alternative scenario is simple - after settling above 1.0738, a test of the target resistance at 1.0804 is possible. This would extend the correction.     On the four-hour chart, the price has returned below the MACD indicator line after a false breakout above it. The Marlin oscillator has moved into the negative territory after briefly staying in the positive area. The trend is bearish.  

Crypto Industry News:  When asked about the future of the Ethereum cryptocurrency, ChatGPT gave surprisingly good news. Of course, no one else could have done it - only his uncensored version of DAN. Nay. He estimated that Ethereum could be worth over $10,000. Perhaps even by the end of the year. It seems downright improbable. The information presented below is a curiosity. They do not constitute financial or investment advice or any other type of recommendation.   They are only a subjective opinion, and ChatGPT itself, like any algorithm, can be wrong. The first quarter of the new year has brought an end to the disastrous declines of cryptocurrencies so far.   Technical Market Outlook: The ETH/USD pair has broken below the technical support seen at the level of $1,865 and made a new local low at the level of $1,836. The market is still under the bearish pressure and bears managed to retrace 50% of the last wave up.The next technical support is seen at the level of $1,816. The 61% Fibonacci retracement of the last wave up is seen at $1,825.   The momentum is now slightly positive, but the market still trades below the short-term trend line resistance. Only a sustained breakout above the line would change the outlook to more bullish.     Weekly Pivot Points: WR3 - $1,848 WR2 - $1,826 WR1 - $1,817 Weekly Pivot - $1,803 WS1 - $1,795 WS2 - $1,780 WS3 - $1,758   Trading Outlook: The Ethereum market has been seen making lower highs and lower low since the swing high was made in the middle of the August 2022 at the level of $2,029. This is the key level for bulls, so it needs to be broken in order to continue the up trend. The key technical support is seen at $1,368, so as long as the market trades above this level, the outlook remains bullish.  

On Friday, there will be a few macroeconomic reports, but all of them will be very important. Neither the European Union nor the United Kingdom will issue data today. All the information will come from the US. There will be three reports, two of which are of the highest significance. Nonfarm Payrolls show the number of jobs created in a month outside the agricultural sector. This is a key labor market indicator. It is expected that 180-190 thousand jobs were created in May. Any number lower than this will be considered negative.       The unemployment rate is the second key labor market indicator. It is expected that by the end of May, the rate will increase to 3.5%. However, even 3.6% should not shock traders as it is still a very low value, close to the lowest one recorded 50 years ago. The average hourly earnings is the last report that will be issued today.   This indicator has a direct impact on the inflation rate. The annual increase in wages should not exceed the previous month's value. However, this data is less significant than the first two reports. Analysis of fundamental events:     There are no fundamental events planned for Friday. In recent days, both pairs have been showing a persistent desire to grow, which is not always justified by specific factors. If the growth in the euro makes sense, the pound's appreciation is raising many questions. However, the short-term trend has changed to ascending for both pairs. Thus, further growth can be expected unless the reports from the US are much stronger than the forecasts.   General conclusions: On Friday, there will be two important reports. Both of them will be published at the start of the US trading session. There will be no important events in the first half of the day. Also, yesterday, it was reported that the US House of Representatives approved an increase in the debt ceiling. Thus, there will be no default in the US. Yesterday's fall in the dollar was partially caused by this event. However, it is not logical. The market could have priced in the approval of the increase (since there were no other options, really), and now it could be benefiting from short orders. Nevertheless, we still expect a stronger drop from the euro and the pound.   Basis trading rules: 1) The strength of a signal is judged by the time it took to form the signal (a bounce or overcoming level). The less time it took, the stronger the signal is. 2) If two or more trades were opened around any level based on false signals, then all subsequent signals from this level should be ignored. 3) In a flat market, any pair can form a multitude of false signals or not form them at all. In any case, at the first signs of a flat movement, it is better to stop trading. 4) Trades are opened in the time period between the beginning of the European session and the middle of the US one when all trades should be manually closed. 5) In the 30-minute period, you can trade using signals from the MACD indicator only when there is good volatility and a trend, which is confirmed by a trend line or a trend channel. 6) If two levels are located too close to each other (from 5 to 15 pips), they should be considered as a support or resistance area.     What we see on the chart: Price levels of support and resistance are levels that act as targets when opening buy or sell orders. Take profit levels can be placed near them. Red lines are channels or trend lines that show the current trend and indicate in which direction it is preferable to trade now. MACD indicator (14,22,3) is a histogram and signal line, that is an auxiliary indicator, which can also be used as a source of signals. Important speeches and reports (always included in the macroeconomic calendar) can have a significant influence on the movement of a currency pair. Therefore, during their release, you should trade with maximum caution or exit the market to avoid a sharp price reversal against the previous movement. Beginners should remember that not every trade can be profitable. A clear strategy and money management are key to success in long-term trading.      

FXMAG.COM: Do you expect any radical moves of EUR/GBP price in the near future? What can cause such fluctuations?  As forex traders keenly observe the EUR/GBP currency pair, there is speculation surrounding the likelihood of substantial price movements in the near future. Examining the underlying factors that can trigger notable fluctuations is essential for making informed decisions in the market.   Macroeconomic indicators, including GDP growth, inflation rates, and employment figures, offer valuable insights into the potential for significant moves in the EUR/GBP price.   Based on the latest available data for Q1 of 2023, Eurozone GDP growth experienced a 1.3% increase, while the UK maintained a stable growth rate of 0.10%. Political developments exert a considerable impact on the EUR/GBP exchange rate. Notably, events such as the recent UK election or updates related to Brexit have proven to be catalysts for volatility.   Staying well-informed about key political developments is crucial, as they can significantly influence the price of this currency pair. Central bank policies play a pivotal role in shaping the EUR/GBP exchange rate.   The European Central Bank (ECB) and the Bank of England (BoE) periodically announce monetary policy decisions that affect this currency pair. It is important to keep a close watch on interest rate adjustments, quantitative easing programs, and forward guidance statements.   As of the latest interest rate decision on February 2, 2023, the ECB maintained rates at 3%, while the BoE held rates at 4.5% with a slight increase of 0.25% on May 11, 2023. Global economic trends and market sentiment can also influence the EUR/GBP price.   Trade relations between the Eurozone and the UK, as well as global economic conditions, can cause significant fluctuations. Monitoring geopolitical events, risk appetite indicators, and market sentiment can provide valuable insights into potential radical moves in this currency pair.   Predicting significant shifts in the EUR/GBP price is a complex task. However, analysing key factors such as macroeconomic indicators, political developments, central bank policies, and global economic trends can enhance your understanding of potential fluctuations. As of the latest available data on May 23, 2023, at 12:51, the EUR/GBP exchange rate stands at 0.87057. Stay well-informed about the latest news and events to navigate the market effectively and make informed trading decisions.

GBP/USD Yesterday, the British pound grew (by 0.47% compared to a 0.20% decline in the dollar index) and its upper shadow managed to reach the target level of 1.2443. As the signal line of the Marlin oscillator has already approached the boundary of the growth area, it may start to reverse downwards in the direction of the main trend.   If the reversal occurs and the price establishes itself below the MACD line (1.2400), the first target will be 1.2273 (the April 3 low and the high of February 14). If the price stays above 1.2443, it can rise towards 1.2583. However, the pound may not reach this level, and a reversal could occur from any intermediate resistance.       On the 4-hour chart, the price has settled above the balance and MACD indicator lines, and the Marlin oscillator has shown slight growth in the growth area but is now showing initial signs of a downward reversal.   Since the MACD line is located below the 1.2400 level, overcoming the support level (1.2365) will serve as the final condition for the price to reverse into a medium-term decline.  

Even though The Lonnie's condition on the daily chart looks to be in a Ranging Sideways condition and is moving downwards on the daily chart, however by the appearance of hidden deviations between the osMA indicator and the USD/CAD pair's price movements gives a hint that in the next few days USD/CAD has the potential to rise above to test the 1.3508 level and as long as the upward correction does not exceed the 1.3584 level, USD/CAD will fall back down to test the 1.3333 and 1.3264 levels.    

Higher timeframes Last week, the pair closed with a candle of uncertainty, returning to the area of attraction and influence of the daily short-term trend (1.0719) and the final level of the weekly golden cross of the Ichimoku, which is currently at 1.0717. Consolidation below these levels and a breakdown of the zone of the daily upward correction (1.0636) will bring back the downward trend and bearish targets to the market.       The nearest prospects for strengthening bearish sentiment in the current situation can be noted in the support zone of 1.0579 - 1.0557 - 1.0515 - 1.0497 (monthly Fibonacci Kijun + weekly Senkou Span B + downside target for breaking the daily cloud). If buyers return to the market, attention will be focused on bullish targets, which are still located in the area of the daily cloud. The resistance levels of the daily (1.0810 - 1.0864 - 1.0918) and weekly (1.0789 - 1.0862 - 1.0866) Ichimoku crosses, as well as the daily cloud (1.0806 - 1.0956) and the monthly medium-term trend (1.0901), currently serve as bullish benchmarks.     H4 - H1 On lower timeframes, buyers currently have the upper hand. They have established themselves above key levels, turning them into supports in case of a correction. The key levels are currently located at 1.0731-18 (central pivot point + weekly long-term trend). If the ascent continues within the day, resistance from the classic pivot points R2 (1.0806) and R3 (1.0831) may come into play.     Higher timeframes Last week, buyers tested important levels, such as the weekly short-term trend (1.2492) and the final levels of the daily death cross of the Ichimoku (1.2492 - 1.2536), but were unable to close the week above them. With the start of a new trading week, these levels have maintained their positions and continue to be the nearest significant benchmarks for the emergence of new bullish prospects. The location of the most important support levels for the bears on this segment has not changed either. The support zone is quite wide and includes the levels of the weekly Ichimoku cross (1.2343 - 1.2240 - 1.2137) and the monthly medium-term trend (1.2302).     H4 - H1 On lower timeframes, the pair tested the strength of the weekly long-term trend (1.2428) and consolidated below it. The next targets for a decline are now the supports of the classic pivot points S2 (1.2373) and S3 (1.2307). Consolidation above the key levels of 1.2428 - 1.2476 (weekly long-term trend + central pivot point) will bring back the buyers. The next bullish targets within the day will be the resistances of the classic pivot points (1.2513 - 1.2579 - 1.2616).     The technical analysis of the situation uses: Higher timeframes - Ichimoku Kinko Hyo (9.26.52) + Fibo Kijun levels Lower timeframes - H1 - Pivot Points (classic) + Moving Average 120 (weekly long-term trend)      

GBP/USD: Yesterday, the British pound tried to fall below the MACD line on the daily chart but was pushed back up towards the resistance level at 1.2443. The signal line of the Marlin oscillator is moving up along with the price but is providing noticeable resistance to this movement.     A consolidation above 1.2443 with the oscillator transitioning into positive territory can potentially lead the price to the target level of 1.2583. At the moment, a new level has formed at yesterday's low of 1.2367 (coinciding with the April 21 low, where there was also a sharp rebound). Falling below this level will open up the target of 1.2273. The bearish scenario persists     On the four-hour chart, the price has bounced off the support of the MACD indicator line. Currently, the price is consolidating near the level of 1.2443.   The Marlin oscillator is in the downtrend area. Here, the earliest bearish signal is also the support level at 1.2367, reinforced by the MACD line. We await further developments.          

USD/JPY: On Monday, the USD/JPY pair tested the resistance level at 140.35 but was pushed down from it, though not by much. This morning, the price is trying to rise, but the signal line of the Marlin oscillator is decreasing, which could eventually lead the price back to 138.57.     If the dollar manages to find the strength to rise, after surpassing 140.35, the next target will be 142.28, the nearest line of the global price channel. On the four-hour chart, we can see that the target level of 140.35 was reinforced by the MACD line, which resulted in a local price reversal from it.     If the dollar manages to find the strength to rise, after surpassing 140.35, the next target will be 142.28, the nearest line of the global price channel. On the four-hour chart, we can see that the target level of 140.35 was reinforced by the MACD line, which resulted in a local price reversal from it.  

Technical Market Outlook: The EUR/USD pair has been seen bouncing from the local low made at the level of 1.0675 and so far the high of the bounce was made at the level of 1.0732. The intraday technical resistance is seen at 1.0780, so bulls need to break out above this level in order to continue higher. Any breakout below the level of 1.0675 would sustain the bearish outlook and put the level of 1.0636 for a test (swing low). The weak and negative momentum supports the short-term bearish outlook for EUR as the bulls are not able to move above the neutral level of fifty on the RSI indicator.     Weekly Pivot Points: WR3 - 1.07335 WR2 - 1.07121 WR1 - 1.06983 Weekly Pivot - 1.06907 WS1 - 1.06769 WS2 - 1.06693 WS3 - 1.06479   Trading Outlook: Since the beginning of October 2022 the EUR/USD is in the corrective cycle to the upside, but the main, long-term trend remains bearish. This corrective cycle might had been terminated at the level of 1.2080 which is 61% Fibonacci retracement level. The EUR had made a new multi-decade low at the level of 0.9538, so as long as the USD is being bought all across the board, the down trend will continue towards the new lows.  

Crypto Industry News: El Salvador recognized BTC as legal tender in 2021. According to the authorities, this has led to increased interest in the country in terms of tourism. Added to this is the renewable energy development program at Metapan, which aims to use solar and wind energy to power bitcoin miners. Now it turns out that Tether is one of the investors in the mentioned renewable energy project. As part of it, Volcano Energy, a 241 megawatt (MW) renewable energy center, was created in Metapan.   It is expected to generate 169 MW of solar energy and 72 MW of wind energy. The energy produced will power the BTC mines in El Salvador. Tether estimates that the park's computing power will exceed 1.3 exahash per second. This would mean that Volcano Energy would be one of the largest cryptocurrency mines in the world. Tether's chief technology officer, Paolo Ardoino, said the investment fits into a broader vision.   The company wants to invest in the production of renewable energy, as well as in mining infrastructure. Volcano Energy CEO Josue Lopez added that "over 52% of bitcoin is currently issued sustainably." It is not known exactly how much Tether invested.   The total cost will be USD 1 billion. Technical Market Outlook: The ETH/USD pair has bounced back above the level of $1,839 and is trading above the 50 and 100 MA. The next target for bulls is seen at the level of $1,913 and then possibly at the last swing high located at $1,928. The intraday technical support is seen at the level of $1,839 and $1,822. The strong and positive momentum on the H4 time frame chart supports the short-term bullish outlook for ETH.     Weekly Pivot Points: WR3 - $1,962 WR2 - $1,919 WR1 - $1,894 Weekly Pivot - $1,877 WS1 - $1,851 WS2 - $1,834 WS3 - $1,791   Trading Outlook: The Ethereum market has been seen making lower highs and lower low since the swing high was made in the middle of the August 2022 at the level of $2,029. This is the key level for bulls, so it needs to be broken in order to continue the up trend. The key technical support is seen at $1,368, so as long as the market trades above this level, the outlook remains bullish.  

Crypto Industry News: Brian Armstrong, head of Coinbase, and the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) are preparing for a showdown. This could affect the future of the cryptocurrency industry. Armstrong has strongly expressed his dissatisfaction with the SEC's approach, which appears to be clearly targeting the broader crypto industry. Armstrong mercilessly criticized the SEC via Twitter.     He alleged that instead of striving to understand companies in the cryptocurrency industry, more massive logs are still thrown at their feet. He argues that the SEC - as a state regulator - should instruct similar companies. Guide how to operate in accordance with the regulations, instead of fighting them in court. The CEO of Coinbase has made it clear that he is proud to represent the industry in court in the search for clarity of rules for the crypto space. This seems especially important in light of the fact that the regulator carefully looked at Coinbase's activities before agreeing to its listing on the stock exchange.     It seems that Armstrong and his team are determined to lead the fight for the future of the cryptocurrency industry. In response to the SEC chairman's call, Armstrong explained that there is no pathway in the current system that would allow it to function legally. He also pointed to conflicting statements issued by the SEC and the Futures Trading Commission on the differences between a security and a commodity.       Technical Market Outlook: The BTC/USD pair has made a V-shape reversal from the lows seen at the level of $25,442 and is currently trading above 50 and 100 MA around the level of $27,000. The next target for bulls is seen at the level of $27,452 and $27,570. The key short them technical resistance is the swing high located at the level of $28,446 and only a sustained breakout above this level would be considered more bullish. The intraday technical support is seen at $25,892. The strong and positive momentum on the H4 time frame chart supports the short-term bullish outlook for BTC.   Weekly Pivot Points: WR3 - $28,056 WR2 - $27,490 WR1 - $27,126 Weekly Pivot - $26,917 WS1 - $26,553 WS2 - $26,343 WS3 - $25,770      Trading Outlook: The bulls broken above the gamechanging level located at $25,442, so now the mid-term outlook for BTC is bullish. The next target for bulls is seen at the level of $32,350. As long as the level of 19,572 is not clearly violated, there is a chance for a long-term up trend to continue.        

Powell testifies on the Hill Fed Chair Powell will testify before Congress on Wednesday and Thursday and will face questions about the Fed’s rate path.   The Fed paused at this month’s meeting but is expected to raise rates at the July meeting. Powell has said that he can pull off a soft landing that will avoid a recession and large layoffs, but many lawmakers remain concerned that more rate hikes this year will cause significant damage to the US economy.   USD/CAD Technical USD/CAD is testing resistance at 1.3253. Above, there is resistance at 1.3329 1.3175 and 1.3047 are providing support lines    

EUR/USD Technical EUR/USD is testing support at 1.0882. The next support level is 1.0793 1.0976 and 1.1031 are the next resistance lines    

Canada’s inflation expected to ease in May The inflation data could be a key factor in BoC’s July rate decision The Canadian dollar moved higher earlier on Monday but has pared these gains. In the North American session, USD/CAD is trading at 1.3169, down 0.10%. The Canadian dollar has been red-hot against its US counterpart, surging 3% in the month of June.   Canadian inflation expected to ease Canada releases May inflation numbers on Tuesday, and the markets are expecting inflation to fall after rising slightly in April. Headline inflation is expected to fall to 3.4%, down sharply from the current 4.4%. Core CPI is projected to ease to 3.9%, down slightly from 4.1%. The Bank of Canada has been fighting a long and tough battle against inflation, and a deceleration on Tuesday would be welcome news. Still, it may not be enough to convince the bank to hold rates at the July 12th meeting. The BoC raised rates in May, citing stronger-than-expected GDP growth as one of the reasons for the hike. Last week’s strong retail sales report could force the Bank to raise rates again, as the solid economic numbers are making it more difficult for the BoC to reach its 2% inflation target.   A sharp drop in headline inflation is unlikely to prevent a July rate hike since much of that decline can be attributed to lower energy prices. The real test will be the core rate – a sharper-than-expected decline could convince BoC policy makers to take a pause, which would be welcome news for weary householders who are grappling with high inflation and rising mortgage costs. Otherwise, Canadian consumers are likely to see more rate hikes in the coming months. The Federal Reserve releases its annual “stress tests” for major lenders, which assess whether the lenders could survive a sharp economic downturn. The stress tests will attract more attention than in previous years, due to the recent banking crisis which saw Silicon Valley Bank and two other banks collapse.   USD/CAD Technical There is resistance at 1.3197 and 1.3254 1.3123 and 1.3066 are providing support  

Earlier this week, Japan’s top currency diplomat, Masota Kanda warned that the yen’s weakening was “rapid and one-sided”. Kanda said he would not rule out any options, including currency intervention.   The markets have become accustomed to verbal intervention when the yen drops sharply, but Tokyo followed its bark with a bite late last year, when it intervened in the currency markets after the yen fell below 151. As the yen continues to depreciate, currency intervention becomes a stronger possibility.   On Tuesday, the US posted solid releases, an indication that the economy remains resilient despite the Fed’s aggressive tightening. Durable Goods Orders and New Home Sales were higher and beat expectations, and Conference Board Consumer Confidence jumped in June from 102.5 to 109.7, its highest level since January 2022. The strong numbers provide support for a Fed hike in July, with the markets pricing rate increase at 79%, according to FedWatch.     USD/JPY Technical USD/JPY is testing resistance at 144.65. The next resistance line is 145.36 There is support at 142.94 and 142.00       US Data MBA mortgage applications in the US rose for a third straight week, despite surging rates as housing demand remains healthy. The effects of the tightening of lending conditions are being reflected in the data, as the credit jumbo rate(expensive homes) rose to 6.91%, which is well above the Average 30 year fixed rate of 6.75%. The housing market isn’t weakening yet despite rising costs because demand is still growing and supplies remain tight.    

Lagarde signals ECB rate hike in July Germany releases inflation report later on Thursday Eurozone inflation report follows on Friday EUR/USD is unchanged on Thursday and is trading at 1.0912 in the European session,   German CPI  Germany releases the June inflation report later today. Inflation in the eurozone’s largest economy fell to 6.1% in May, down sharply from 7.2% in April. Much of the decline, however, was driven by lower energy prices. Inflation is expected to head higher, with a consensus of 6.3%. If CPI surprises to the downside, the euro could get a boost.   Lagarde signals rate hike in July Investors were hoping to gain some insights this week from ECB President Lagarde, who hosted the ECB Bank Forum in Sintra. There really wasn’t anything new in her remarks, which may have been disappointing to some. One could make the argument that Lagarde is being consistent in her message to the markets and used the Sintra meeting to reiterate the ECB’s intent to raise rates at the July 27th meeting, unless there is an unexpected drop in inflation, in particular the core rate. Lagarde stated on Wednesday that the central bank is not considering a pause in July as things currently stand. At the same time, Lagarde has some wiggle room, as she has said each rate decision will be data-dependent. The ECB has an entire month before the next meeting, and if core inflation slides or the eurozone economy takes a turn for the worse, the ECB could pause, arguing the conditions were appropriate for holding rates steady. Lagarde & Co. will get a look at eurozone inflation data on Friday. Headline inflation is expected to fall to 5.6% in June, down from 6.1% in May. Core CPI is projected to rise from 5.3% to 5.5%.   EUR/USD Technical EUR/USD is putting pressure on resistance at 1.0916. This is followed by 1.0988 1.0822 and 1.0750 are providing support    

Japan releases Tokyo Core CPI on Friday USD/JPY moves closer to symbolic 145 line Ueda says no changes to policy unless core inflation rises USD/JPY has edged lower on Thursday. In the European session, the yen is trading at 144.19, down 0.20%. The yen dropped as low as 144.70 in the Asian session, as the symbolic 145 line remains under pressure.   Tokyo Core CPI expected to tick higher Japan releases a key inflation indicator, Tokyo Core CPI, on Friday. The indicator dipped to 3.2% in May but is expected to inch up to 3.3% in June. Tokyo CPI excluding food and energy, currently at 2.4% and known as the “core core index”, will be under the microscope after the National “core core index” rose unexpectedly in June. Earlier this week, BoJ Core CPI, the preferred inflation gauge of the central bank, rose from 2.9% to 3.1%, above the consensus of 3.0%. If today’s inflation report also shows that inflation is creeping higher, it will put into question the BoJ’s stance that cost-driven inflation is temporary and therefore there is no need to tighten monetary policy. Governor Ueda reiterated this position at the ECB Bank Forum on Wednesday. Ueda stated that he would continue the BoJ’s ultra-easy monetary policy unless he was “reasonably sure” that inflation accelerated in 2024. He said that the BoJ was not confident that this would occur, noting that even though headline inflation was above 3%, core inflation remained below the Bank’s 2% target. The BoJ’s ultra-accommodative policy has seen the yen slide to 7-month lows, which has drawn warnings from the Ministry of Finance about intervening in the currency markets. Ueda declined to comment on the possibility of intervention, saying that the BoJ was closely monitoring the exchange rate and that the yen was influenced by many other factors besides BoJ policy.     USD/JPY Technical There is resistance line at 144.65 and 145.36 143.94 and 142.94 are providing support  

Canada’s GDP surprises to the upside US PCE Price Index eases in June ISM Manufacturing PMI expected to contract The Canadian dollar is trading at 1.3259, up 0.07%. Canadian markets are closed for a holiday and I expect USD/CAD movement to be limited. On the economic front, the US releases ISM Manufacturing PMI. The index is projected to tick lower to 46.9 in June, down from 47.0 in May.   Canada’s GDP climbs in May Canada wrapped up the week with a strong GDP report. The economy is estimated to have gained 0.4% in May, after flatlining in April. The Canadian economy continues to surprise with its resilience despite rising interest rates. The Bank of Canada raised rates to 4.75% earlier this month after a five-month pause, arguing that monetary policy was not restrictive enough. The BoC statement pointed at strong consumer spending and higher-than-expected growth as factors in the decision to raise rates. The BoC also expressed concerns that inflation could remain entrenched above the 2% target. The strong GDP report has added fuel to speculation that the BoC will raise rates again on July 12th but there is also concern that higher rates will lead to a recession. Canadian 10-year bonds have fallen further below the 2-year bonds, as the yield curve inversion, a predictor of recession, has become even more pronounced. Inflation has been falling and headline inflation eased to 3.4% in May, down from 4.4% in April. Core inflation also declined to 3.8%, down from 4.2%. The question remains whether inflation, still well above the 2% target, is falling fast enough to prevent another rate hike in July. In the US, there were more signs that inflation is weakening. On Friday, the PCE Price Index, which is the Fed’s favourite inflation gauge, declined from 0.4% to 0.1% in June. As well, UoM Inflation Expectations dropped to 3.3% in June, down from 4.2% in May and the lowest since March 2021. Despite these signals that inflation is decelerating, the Fed is widely expected to raise rates at the July meeting.   Canada’s GDP surprises to the upside US PCE Price Index eases in June ISM Manufacturing PMI expected to contract The Canadian dollar is trading at 1.3259, up 0.07%. Canadian markets are closed for a holiday and I expect USD/CAD movement to be limited. On the economic front, the US releases ISM Manufacturing PMI. The index is projected to tick lower to 46.9 in June, down from 47.0 in May. Canada’s GDP climbs in May Canada wrapped up the week with a strong GDP report. The economy is estimated to have gained 0.4% in May, after flatlining in April. The Canadian economy continues to surprise with its resilience despite rising interest rates. The Bank of Canada raised rates to 4.75% earlier this month after a five-month pause, arguing that monetary policy was not restrictive enough. The BoC statement pointed at strong consumer spending and higher-than-expected growth as factors in the decision to raise rates. The BoC also expressed concerns that inflation could remain entrenched above the 2% target. The strong GDP report has added fuel to speculation that the BoC will raise rates again on July 12th but there is also concern that higher rates will lead to a recession. Canadian 10-year bonds have fallen further below the 2-year bonds, as the yield curve inversion, a predictor of recession, has become even more pronounced. Inflation has been falling and headline inflation eased to 3.4% in May, down from 4.4% in April. Core inflation also declined to 3.8%, down from 4.2%. The question remains whether inflation, still well above the 2% target, is falling fast enough to prevent another rate hike in July. In the US, there were more signs that inflation is weakening. On Friday, the PCE Price Index, which is the Fed’s favourite inflation gauge, declined from 0.4% to 0.1% in June. As well, UoM Inflation Expectations dropped to 3.3% in June, down from 4.2% in May and the lowest since March 2021. Despite these signals that inflation is decelerating, the Fed is widely expected to raise rates at the July meeting.   USD/CAD Technical USD/CAD is putting pressure on resistance at 1.3254. Next, there is resistance at 1.3328 1.3175 and 1.3066 are providing support  

Manufacturing PMIs point to contraction across the eurozone but euro remains steady US ISM Manufacturing PMI weakens US PCE Index slows but Fed still expected to hike in July EUR/USD is almost unchanged on Monday, trading at 1.0909.   Eurozone manufacturing continues to sputter The eurozone manufacturing sector has been in poor shape for months and the downturn worsened worse in June. The eurozone PMI slowed to 43.4 in June, down from 44.8 and shy of the consensus of 43.6 points. Germany, the largest economy in the bloc, looked even worse, as the PMI fell to 40.6, down from 43.2 and below the consensus of 41.0 points. Spain, Italy and France also reported readings below 50, which separates contraction from expansion. Manufacturing in the eurozone has now contracted for 12 straight months and the PMI reading was the lowest since May 2020. Customer demand has fallen sharply and manufacturing employment declined in June for the first time since January 2021. These latest numbers indicate that manufacturing is in trouble, but this is nothing really new and the euro shrugged off the weak numbers. The news wasn’t much better in the US, as ISM Manufacturing PMI eased to 46.0 in June, down from 46.8 in May. ISM Manufacturing Employment contracted as well, falling from 51.4 to 48.4 and missing the consensus of 50.5 points. The week wrapped up with inflation releases showing that deceleration is alive and well. On Friday, the PCE Price Index, which is the Fed’s preferred inflation indicator, declined from 0.4% to 0.1% in June. As well, UoM Inflation Expectations dropped to 3.3% in June, down from 4.2% in May and the lowest since March 2021. Inflation may be headed in the right direction, but the Fed is still widely expected to raise rates at the July 12th meeting. Traders have priced in a 25-basis point hike at 86%, according to the CME FedWatch tool.   EUR/USD Technical EUR/USD is putting pressure on support at 1.0908. This is followed by support at 1.0838 1.0980 and 1.1050 are the next resistance lines    

Swiss inflation lower than expected US markets closed on Tuesday Fed minutes will be released on Wednesday The Swiss franc is showing little movement on Tuesday, trading at 0.8959 in the European session. US markets are closed for the July Fourth holiday and we can expect a quiet day for USD/CHF.   Swiss inflation falls to 1.7% Switzerland’s inflation rate dipped in June to 1.7% y/y, down from 2.2% in May and just below the consensus of 1.8%. On a monthly basis, inflation rose 0.1%, down from 0.3% and below the consensus of 0.2%. Core inflation eased to 1.8% y/y, down from 1.9%. Swiss National Bank President Jordan has often complained that inflation remains too high, although other central bankers, who are grappling with much higher inflation, would be happy to change places. Both the headline and core rates have now dropped into the Bank’s target range of 0%-2%, which should lend support to the SNB taking a pause at the September meeting. However, Jordan has been quite hawkish and one positive inflation report may not be enough to convince the SNB that the decline in inflation is temporary. The markets have priced in a 66% probability of a 0.25% in September, which would bring the cash rate to an even 2.0%. US markets are closed today, but Wednesday should be a busy session as the Fed releases the minutes from the June meeting. The markets are widely expecting a rate hike in July, and there are growing concerns that if the Fed continues to hike, the economy will tip into a recession.  The spread between 2-year and 10-year Treasury note yields deepened to a 42-year high on Wednesday, raising fears of a recession. A yield curve inversion is considered a reliable indication of a recession and the current inversion has been in place since July, raising fears about the direction of the US economy.   USD/CHF Technical USD/CHF is testing support at 0.8961. Below, there is support at 0.8904 0.9009 and 0.9081 are the next resistance lines  

Australia posts strong trade surplus US ADP employment surprises with massive gain US unemployment claims and ISM Services PMI will be released later on Thursday Thursday has been a busy day for AUD/USD. The Australian dollar rose after a strong Australian trade balance report but has reversed directions following a sparking US ADP employment release. In the North American session, AUD/USD is trading at 0.6639, down 0.20%.   Australia’s trade surplus widens Australia continues to post monthly trade surpluses, supported by exports of iron ore and natural gas to Asian Pacific countries. China’s recovery has been uneven but there has still been an increased demand for iron ore and coal from Australia. The June trade surplus was A$11.8 billion, above the consensus of A$10.9 billion. The Australian dollar gained ground on the strong trade surplus, only to give up all these gains after the US ADP employment report posted a massive gain of 497,000 in June, up from 267,000 in May and well above the consensus of 228,000. The ADP report is not considered a reliable indicator for Friday’s nonfarm payrolls release, but investors still keep an eye on it and the huge gain has boosted the US dollar against the major currencies. US nonfarm payrolls are expected to move in the opposite direction of the ADP report, with a consensus of 225,000 in June, down sharply from 339,000 in May. Later on Thursday, the US releases unemployment claims and the ISM Services PMI. Unemployment claims dropped sharply to 239,000 in the previous release and are expected to rise to 245,000. The ISM Services PMI has shown weak expansion in recent months, with readings slightly above the 50.0 level, which separates expansion from contraction. The June consensus stands at 51.0, slightly higher than the May reading of 50.3 points. . AUD/USD Technical AUD/USD continues to test resistance at 0.6659. This is followed by resistance at 0.6722 0.6597 and 0.6534 are providing support

EUR/USD As a result of Friday, the euro grew by 76 points after reacting to moderately positive US employment data. The unemployment rate slipped to 3.6% from 3.7% in May, although Non-Farms showed that the US economy added 209,000 jobs in June 2023, following a downwardly revised 306,000 in May, and below market forecasts of 225,000. This was reflected to some extent in the broad unemployment index – it rose from 6.7% to 6.9%. The overall labor force participation rate was unchanged for the fourth consecutive month at 62.6%, and there is room for growth to around 62.8-62.9%, where this share of the active population was quite stable in 2015/19. Therefore, the labor market is not yet saturated, even the average hourly earnings for all employees rose by 0.4% in June.   If we consider Friday's data in conjunction with Thursday's ADP data, the picture seems favorable for dollar growth. In fact, after a little hesitation with the release of data, the dollar strengthened, but as on Thursday, it was speculatively bought out. The trading volume was less compared to Thursday. And this could mean that the resistance of dollar buyers has been broken, or the bulls themselves are close to completing such a two-day speculative operation. In the first case, the euro's growth will extend at least to 1.1028 (and then the price will diverge from the oscillator on the daily chart), or higher, to 1.1085, or, in the second case, the euro will still grow a little for technical work out of the upper band of the price channel to 1.0980 and will turn to depreciation in the medium-term.     Whatever the case may be, buying the EUR/USD pair right now is risky, we are still waiting for the euro to turn to a 4-5 figure drop, we just have to wait for this turn to form. On the four-hour chart, the price is rising above the balance and MACD indicator lines, the Marlin oscillator is in a position to grow, we have an uptrend in the short-term.  

The British pound has strengthened its leadership in the G10 currency race thanks to the U.S. employment report. The increase of 209,000 jobs in June disappointed USD supporters, causing GBP/USD quotes to soar to the highest level since April 2022. However, it failed to consolidate at that level as the unemployment rate dropped to 3.6% and average wages accelerated to 4.4%, indicating that the Federal Reserve still has a lot of work ahead. The Bank of England also faces challenges. Wage growth in the United Kingdom is outpacing that of the United States. Bloomberg experts forecast a 7.1% increase in May.   The current values, along with sustained elevated inflation at 8.7%, are perceived by companies as a greater incentive for price increases than the BoE's optimistic forecasts of CPI slowdown. BoE Governor Andrew Bailey and his colleagues are determined to prevent inflation from solidifying at elevated levels, but their actions could lead to a recession. Indeed, the short-term market expects the repo rate to reach 6.5% by March 2024. Such a high borrowing cost could risk a recession. Additionally, the yield curve inversion signals an impending downturn.     At first glance, the pound is at a turning point: the projected 150 basis points increase in borrowing costs could trigger a GDP contraction. Markets generally perceive this negatively, as was the case with the U.S. dollar at the turn of 2022–2023, when its quotes were falling. However, it's important to remember that in any currency pair, there are two currencies. The current success of GBP/USD is only partially related to expectations of a repo rate increase to 6.5%.   It's also influenced by some weakening of the U.S. dollar against major global currencies. Some Forex experts believe that the most aggressive monetary restriction by the Federal Reserve in decades will eventually worsen the health of the U.S. economy. Meanwhile, Bloomberg experts predict a slowdown in U.S. consumer prices to 3.1% in June, causing the USD index to decline. The pound faces a test with the release of UK labor market data by July 14. Alongside the previously mentioned wage growth of 7.1%, Bloomberg experts forecast a slowdown in employment from +250,000 to +158,000.   According to Pantheon Macroeconomics, this change will not be sufficient to stop the Bank of England. The repo rate hike toward 6.5% will continue. Considering that markets were anticipating 5.3% a month ago, the pound's successes are logical.     In my opinion, investors have been somewhat excessive in selling the U.S. dollar based on mixed U.S. employment statistics. This vulnerability makes sterling positions vulnerable. Technically, on the daily GBP/USD chart, a reversal pattern like a Double Bottom may form, or an upward trend may resume. In the first case, we sell the pair on a breakthrough of the pivot level at 1.2785. In the second case, on the contrary, we buy it upon a new local high at 1.285.  

Medium-term uptrend of USD/JPY in place since 16 January 2023 at risk of breakdown. Steep decline from last Thursday, 6 July 2023 has reached oversold condition. Minor bounce cannot be ruled out at this juncture above 140.60 support. Watch the 142.50/142.80 intermediate resistance zone. This is a follow-up on our prior analysis “USD/JPY surged to a 7-month high, but fundamentals diverge” published on 23 June 2023. We have highlighted the risks of the overextended rally exhibited in the USD/JPY seen in the past six weeks as it approached a key resistance zone of 145.50/146.10 (click here for a recap). The price actions of the USD/JPY have indeed staged a retreat right below 145.50 (the lower limit of the key resistance zone) as it printed an intraday high of 145.07 on 30 June 2023 and dropped by 379 pips to hit a low of 141.28 in yesterday, 10 July US session.   Medium-term uptrend from 16 January 2023 is at risk of breakdown   Fig 1:  US/JPY medium-term trend as of 11 Jul 2023 (Source: TradingView, click to enlarge chart) Two key observations have emerged that indicated that the ongoing medium-term uptrend phase of the USD/JPY in place since the 16 January 2023 low of 127.22 may have reached its terminal point on 30 June 2023 which in turn may see the start of a multi-week corrective down move. Firstly, price actions have reintegrated below 142.50 (the pull-back support of the upper boundary of the medium-term ascending channel where price actions pierced above it on 22 June 2023) which suggests that the prior bullish breakout is likely a failure. Secondly, the daily RSI has broken below a key parallel ascending trendline support at the 48 level, indicating that medium-term upside momentum has waned.     A minor bounce cannot be ruled out as the decline reached short-term oversold condition   Fig 2:  US/JPY minor short-term trend as of 11 Jul 2023 (Source: TradingView, click to enlarge chart) In the realm of technical analysis, price actions of tradable financial instruments do not evolve in a vertical fashion but oscillate within a trend. As seen on the 1-hour chart of the USD/JPY, the steep decline since last Thursday, 6 July 2023 minor high of 144.65 has led the hourly RSI to reach an oversold condition (below the 30 level) and flashed out a bullish divergence observation (higher low in RSI but lower low in parallel price actions). These current observations have emerged as the decline in price actions is coming close to 140.60 key intermediate support (see daily chart). Hence if the 140.60 intermediate support manages to hold, a minor bounce may unfold with intermediate resistances coming in at 142.50 and 142.80 (20-day moving average). The key short-term pivotal resistance will be at 143.70 to maintain the ongoing short-term downtrend phase in place since the 30 June 2023 high of 145.07. On the other hand, a break below 140.60 exposes the next supports at 139.95 and 138.70.

The ADP report on employment in the private sector, published a day before the non-farm payroll data release, was so shocking that it instantly raised expectations for the labor market as a whole, leading to rapid repositioning on Friday before the data release. However, the non-farm payroll figures were significantly weaker than expected, with 209,000 new jobs created (225,000 expected), and data for the previous two months were revised downwards by 110,000. Employment growth is slowing, but the pace remains high. As for wage growth, the figures were an unpleasant surprise for the Federal Reserve. In June, wages increased again by 0.4% instead of the expected 0.3%, and annual growth rates remained at 4.4%, which is higher than the 4.2% forecast. Steady wage growth does not allow inflation expectations to fall, the growth of real rates does not allow the Federal Reserve to start lowering the rate this year.       The U.S. inflation index, which will be published on Wednesday, is the main event of the week and the last important data before the Fed meeting at the end of July. The markets expect an 89% probability of a quarter-point rate hike. Furthermore, the probability of another increase in November has already exceeded 30%, and the first cut is now expected only in May of next year. The U.S. dollar fell after the data release and ended the week weaker than all G10 currencies. The growth of real rates in the current conditions makes a recession in the U.S. almost inevitable.   EUR/USD The Sentix Economic Index for the eurozone has fallen for the third time in a row to -22.5 points, a low since November 2022, and expectations also remain depressed. The eurozone economy has fallen into a recession as of early July. The situation in Germany is even more depressing – the index has fallen to -28.5 points, and the possibility of improvement is ephemeral.     The ZEW index will be published on Tuesday, and the forecast for it is also negative, with a decrease from -10 points to -10.2 points expected in July. On Thursday, the European Commission will present its forecasts. Bloomberg expects that industrial production in the eurozone fell in May from 0.2% y/y to -1.1% y/y, a sharp decline that characterizes the entire eurozone economy as negative and tending to further contraction.   Under the current conditions, the European Central Bank intends to continue raising rates, and even plans to shorten the reinvestment period of the PEPP program. If this step is implemented, a debt crisis, which will put strong bearish pressure on the euro, is inevitable in the face of capital outflows to the U.S. and an expanding recession.   The net long position on the euro has hardly changed over the reporting week and amounts to just over 20 billion dollars, positioning is bullish, there is no trend. However, the calculated price is still below the long-term average and is trending downward.     The euro attempted to strengthen on Friday in light of the news, but it was unable to rise beyond the borders of the technical figure "flag", let alone higher than the local high of 1.1012. We assume that the corrective growth has ended, and from the current levels, the euro will go down, the target is the lower boundary of the "flag" at 1.0730/50. GBP/USD Updated data on the UK labor market will be published on Tuesday. It is expected that the growth of average earnings including bonuses increased in May from 6.5% to 6.8%, and if the data comes out as expected, inflation expectations will inevitably rise. As will the Bank of England's peak rate forecasts. The NIESR Institute expects that further rate increases could trigger a recession.   The cost of credit is rising, and an increase in the volume of bad debts is inevitable in an economic downturn. Inflation did not decrease in May, contrary to expectations, and remained at 8.7%, even though energy prices significantly decreased. Food inflation on an annual basis reached 18.3%, and core inflation at 7.1% is at its highest since 1992. The labor force is decreasing, and if this trend is confirmed on Tuesday, it will almost inevitably result in increased competition for staff, which will mean, among other things, the continuation of wage growth. The Bank of England has already raised the rate to 5%, with forecasts implying two more increases. What does the current situation mean for the pound?   If the economy can keep from sliding into a recession, then in conditions of rising nominal rates, the yield spread will encourage players to buy assets, leading to increased demand for the pound and its strengthening. However, if signs of recession intensify, which could be clear as soon as Thursday when GDP, industrial production, and trade balance data for May will be published, the pound will react with a decrease, despite high rate expectations. After impressive growth two weeks ago, pound futures have stalled at achieved levels, a weekly decrease of just over 100 million has no significant impact on positioning, which remains bullish.  

Last Friday, the GBP/USD pair tested the 1.2850 support level, which corresponds to the upper line of the Bollinger Bands indicator on the daily chart. From a formal point of view, the pound has renewed its multi-month price peak (the last time the pair was at this level was in April), but in reality, the situation doesn't look so rosy for buyers. Over the past three weeks, the pound has repeatedly approached the 1.2850 target, but each time it stopped just a few steps away from this price barrier.   Take a look at the weekly and daily GBP/USD charts: since mid-June, the pair has shown wave-like dynamics, as it repeatedly tries to overcome the stubborn resistance level. By the way, the last attempt also ended in failure.   At the start of the new trading week, sellers took the initiative again, pulling the price into the 27th figure range. A news catalyst is needed The pound needs a strong news catalyst to break through the defense (1.2850), approach the boundaries of the 29th figure, and in the future claim the heights of the 30th price level. Undoubtedly, such a scenario is possible in the case of a massive weakening of the greenback, but as practice shows, even in this case, the pound should play not the role of the follower, but the leader.   As already mentioned above, the GBP/USD pair has been moving in an uptrend since mid-June. Initially, support for the pound came from data on rising inflation in the UK. It turned out that the core consumer price index, excluding food and energy prices, jumped to 7.1% in May, while most analysts predicted it would fall to 6.7%. The indicator renewed a multi-year record - this is the strongest pace of growth of the indicator since 1992. Within the current year, the indicator demonstrates an uptrend for the second month in a row. This fact strengthened the pound's position, but its main "ally" turned out to be the Bank of England, which unexpectedly raised the interest rate by 50 basis points a few days after the release (the base forecast assumed a 25-point hike). Moreover, in its accompanying statement, the central bank did not soften its wording and hinted at further tightening of monetary policy.   The central bank, in particular, indicated that it will continue to "carefully monitor signs of inflationary pressure in the economy, including the labor market situation and wage dynamics, as well as inflation in the services sector." At the same time, the Bank warned that if signs of more persistent pressure are recorded in the future, a further increase in the interest rate will be needed. The events of the past month allowed buyers to cover almost a 500-point path: at the beginning of June, the price fluctuated at the base of the 24th figure, while on the wave of the upward momentum it grew to the middle of the 28th figure. But the 1.2850 target became a local price ceiling for the bulls.   In order to build an upward move, you need to experience a kind of deja vu: further inflation growth (this time in June) + hawkish results of the next BoE meeting. However, to successfully transfer to the price echelon 1.2850 - 1.3000, it is enough to fulfill only the first point of the "plan" (provided that the dollar index remains in its previous positions and does not strengthen after the release of US inflation data).   Important reports ahead The consumer price index in the UK for June will be published next week - July 19th. This will be key in the run-up to the next - August - BoE meeting. But in addition to the inflation report, one should also pay attention to another report - in the field of the UK labor market. It will be published on Tuesday. If the main components turn out to be in the green zone (especially the pro-inflation indicator), the pound will receive a kind of "advance assistance", which will be greatly enhanced in case of a strong inflation report. In other words, if both releases (labor market + inflation) are in the green zone, the probability of a rate hike in August will significantly increase, and this fact will support the British currency.   According to preliminary forecasts, the unemployment rate will remain at the same level (3.8%), the number of employed will increase by 20,000 (after falling by 13,000 in the previous month), and the wage component will show contradictory dynamics: with the payment of bonuses, the indicator will rise to 6.8%, without bonuses - it will decrease slightly, to 7.1%. Overall, if you trust the forecast estimates, Tuesday's reports can support the British currency.   If the indicators turn out to be in the green (especially the wage component of the report), buyers may again test the resistance level of 1.2850, which turned out to be a "tough nut to crack". But even in this case, the pound is unlikely to settle above this target and settle within the 29th figure. In my opinion, such a scenario is possible in case of an acceleration in the growth rate of the UK CPI and/or a large-scale weakening of the US currency. From a technical point of view, on the daily chart, the price is between the middle and upper lines of the Bollinger Bands, which speaks of the bullish bias.   On the daily and weekly charts, the Ichimoku indicator formed a bullish "Parade of Lines" signal, when the price is above all lines of the indicator, including above the Kumo cloud. This signal also indicates bullish sentiments. The nearest target is the aforementioned mark of 1.2850 (the upper line of the Bollinger Bands on D1). The next level of resistance (and, accordingly, the next target) is the 1.2950 mark - this is also the upper line of the Bollinger Bands indicator, but already on the weekly chart.

5M chart of GBP/USD   The GBP/USD jumped solidly upwards on Monday, with volatility exceeding the 100-point mark. A speech by Bank of England governor Andrew Bailey was scheduled in the UK yesterday, but it was planned for the evening, so it couldn't have any influence on the pair's movement during the day. Nevertheless, in the second half of the day, the dollar slumped, which we can associate with the upcoming US inflation report, which already suggests a sharp slowdown to 3.1%. If the forecasts come true, then this report is already accounted for, and the likelihood of two more rate hikes in 2023 will drastically decrease. Theoretically, the broad US dollar weakness is logical, but let's also remember that this pattern is not always observed.   The market still uses any excuse to buy the pair. The momentum persists. There was only one entry point yesterday. At the beginning of the US session, the pair bounced off the 1.2762 level and the Kijun-sen line of the Ichimoku indicator, afterwards it rose to the 1.2863 level. The long position should have been closed manually closer to the evening, so the profit on it was about 70 points. An excellent trading day!   COT report:     The GBP/USD jumped solidly upwards on Monday, with volatility exceeding the 100-point mark. A speech by Bank of England governor Andrew Bailey was scheduled in the UK yesterday, but it was planned for the evening, so it couldn't have any influence on the pair's movement during the day. Nevertheless, in the second half of the day, the dollar slumped, which we can associate with the upcoming US inflation report, which already suggests a sharp slowdown to 3.1%.   If the forecasts come true, then this report is already accounted for, and the likelihood of two more rate hikes in 2023 will drastically decrease. Theoretically, the broad US dollar weakness is logical, but let's also remember that this pattern is not always observed. The market still uses any excuse to buy the pair. The momentum persists.   There was only one entry point yesterday. At the beginning of the US session, the pair bounced off the 1.2762 level and the Kijun-sen line of the Ichimoku indicator, afterwards it rose to the 1.2863 level. The long position should have been closed manually closer to the evening, so the profit on it was about 70 points. An excellent trading day!       In the 1-hour chart, GBP/USD maintains a bullish bias. The ascending trend line serves as a buy signal. So, traders are opening new long positions. However, the pound sterling is overbought. It is likely to decline in the medium term. Yet, it surpassed the descending trend line. Hence, it could move to new highs.   Yet, it surpassed the descending trend line. Hence, it could move to new highs. According to the technical analysis, the pound sterling has drivers for a further increase. And the market is happy to take any opportunity to sell the dollar. On July 11, trading levels are seen at 1.2349, 1.2429-1.2445, 1.2520, 1.2598-1.2605, 1.2693, 1.2762, 1.2863, 1.2981-1.2987. Senkou Span B (1.2714) and Kijun-sen (1.2719) lines can also provide signals, e.g. rebounds and breakout of these levels and lines. It is recommended to set the Stop Loss orders at the breakeven level when the price moves in the right direction by 20 pips.   The lines of the Ichimoku indicator can move during the day, which should be taken into account when determining trading signals. There are support and resistance levels that can be used to lock in profits. On Tuesday, the UK will publish at least three reports that could stir some market reaction. Jobless claims, unemployment and payrolls. We believe that the unemployment data may have an impact on the traders' mood. If they turn out to be optimistic, the pound will receive a new opportunity to extend its upward movement. Indicators on charts: Resistance/support - thick red lines, near which the trend may stop. They do not make trading signals. The Kijun-sen and Senkou Span B lines are the Ichimoku indicator lines moved to the hourly timeframe from the 4-hour timeframe.   They are also strong lines. Extreme levels are thin red lines, from which the price used to bounce earlier. They can produce trading signals. Yellow lines are trend lines, trend channels, and other technical patterns. Indicator 1 on the COT chart is the size of the net position of each trader category. Indicator 2 on the COT chart is the size of the net position for the Non-commercial group of traders.    

Historical tightly inverse correlation between gold (XAU/USD) and US Treasury 10-year real yield (TIPS) has started to wane in the past four weeks. An uptick in geopolitical risk may be the factor that is supporting a resilient movement in gold despite higher 10-year TIPS. Watch the US$1,940 key intermediate resistance on gold (XAU/USD) for a potential bullish breakout. In the past week, a higher momentum movement is seen in longer-term sovereign yields over their shorter-term durations where the US Treasury 10-year yield recorded a weekly gain of 23 basis points (bps) over a meager return of + 5 bps seen on the US Treasury 2-year yield. If we stripped out inflation expectations, the US Treasury 10-year real yield, derived from the 10-year Treasury Inflation Protected Securities (TIPS) yield has a higher momentum intensity over the US Treasury 10-year nominal yield.     US Treasury 10-year real yield has broken above its Oct 2022 major swing high     Fig 1: US Treasury 10-year real & nominal yields major trends of 11 Jul 2023 (Source: TradingView, click to enlarge chart) Based on last Friday, 7 July closing prices, the US Treasury 10-year real yield increased to 1.79% and broke above its prior October 2022 key major swing high of 1.69% while the 10-year nominal yield rose to 4.07% but still below its October 2022 key major swing high of 4.22%. Thus, given the higher positive momentum factor seen in the longer-term real risk-free interest rate; US Treasury 10-year real yield, the opportunity costs of holding other long-duration riskier assets in fixed income and equities have increased which reinforced their weak performances seen last week; iShares Investment Grade Corporate Bond ETF (-2.40%), iShares High Yield Corporate Bond ETF (-1.63%), and iShares PHLX Semiconductor ETF (-2.54%). Interestingly, another “competing” asset, gold priced in US dollars (XAU/USD) did not record a similar magnitude of loss last week. In contrast, spot gold (XAU/USD) recorded a gain of +0.31% for the week ending 7 July.   The prior high degree of inverse correlation between gold and 10-year TIPS has waned   Fig 2: US Treasury 10-year real yield correlation trend with Gold (XAU/USD) as of 11 Jul 2023 (Source: TradingView, click to enlarge chart) The correlation between gold (XAU/USD) and US Treasury 10-yield real yield (TIPS) tends to be tightly inversely correlated in the past ten years; when 10-year TIPS rose, the price of gold (XAU/USD) staged a decline and vice versus due to zero interest income earned from holding gold and as a hedge on US government bonds, as gold has no counterparty risk. The 20-period rolling correlation coefficient between gold and the 10-year TIPS has been reduced to -0.60 from a recent high level of -0.84 recorded in early May 2023. What causes the current breakdown in the historical long-term tightly inverse correlation between gold and 10-year TIPS? It is likely due to the geopolitical risk factor where the price of gold, acting as a safe haven asset tends to increase when geopolitical risk increases. Before the Russian invasion of Ukraine that occurred on 24 February 2022, in the prior two months, the high degree of indirect correlation between gold and 10-year TIPS have dissipated as both started to move in direct correlation.   Geopolitical risk has ticked up to an eight-month high     Fig 3: Geopolitical Risk Index as of 30 Jun 2023 (Source: MacroMicro, click to enlarge chart) Based on quantified measures of geopolitical risk, the latest reading of the Geopolitical Risk Index (GPR) for the month of June 2023 compiled by US Federal Reserve economists Dario Caldara and Matteo lacoviello has started to tick up above the 100 level to 103.10, its highest level in eight months. The GPR measures the social mood of impactful geopolitical events, threats, and conflicts since 1985 by counting the keywords used in the press.     Watch the US$1,940 key intermediate resistance on gold (XAU/USD) for potential bullish breakout   Fig 4: Gold (XAU/USD) medium-term trend of 11 Jul 2023 (Source: TradingView, click to enlarge chart) Thus, the recent resilient price movement of gold (XAU/USD) that has managed to hold at the US$1,913/1,896 key medium-term support despite the steep up move seen in the 10-year TIPS is likely attributed to an uptick in geopolitical risk. Based on technical analysis, clearance above the US$1,940 key intermediate resistance sees the next resistance coming in at US$1,990 in the first step supported by a positive momentum reading seen in the daily RSI oscillator. On the flip side, a break below the US$1,896 key medium-term pivotal support invalidates the bullish tone to expose the next support at US$1,856 (also the 200-day moving average).

UK employment falls but wage growth remains high BoE Governor Bailey says inflation will fall but more rate hikes needed The British pound has edged upward on Tuesday. In the European session, GBP/USD is trading at 1.2898, up 0.28%. The pound has put on an impressive rally, rising close to 200 pips against the dollar since Thursday.   UK employment softens, wages rise The UK delivered a mixed employment report for June. The economy created 102,000 jobs, far less than the 250,000 in May and shy of the consensus of 125,000. The unemployment rate rose from 3.8% to 4% and unemployment claims rose by 25,700, after a decline of 22,500 in May. However, wage growth excluding bonuses remained at 7.3% in the three months to May, above the consensus estimate of 7.1%. For Bank of England policymakers, the employment report is a good news/bad news release. The central bank needs the labour market to cool as it struggles to bring inflation down. To put it mildly, that battle has not gone as planned, with the OECD giving the UK the ignominious distinction of being the only major economy where inflation is rising. The June employment and unemployment numbers showed some cracks in the tight labour market, but wage growth, a key driver of inflation, remains stubbornly high. The takeaway from the jobs report is that the labour market is a bit less tight but wage growth remains inconsistent with the 2% inflation target and the BoE will have to continue to tighten policy. The cash rate is currently at 5.0% but the money markets have priced in a peak rate of 6.5%, which means that more pain is coming for businesses and households in the form of higher interest rates. BoE Governor Bailey is doing his best to put a brave face on a difficult situation. On Monday, Bailey said that inflation would fall “markedly” due to falling energy and food prices, but more rate hikes would be needed to bring inflation down from the current 8.7% to the 2% target.   GBP/USD Technical GBP/USD tested support at 1.2782 earlier today. The next support level is 1.2716 There is resistance at 1.2906 and 1.2972  

4-week of decline has almost reached 31,530 key medium-term support Oversold condition with the formation of hourly bullish “Hammer” Japanese candlestick Key intermediate resistances will be at 32,730 and 33,200 This is a follow-up analysis of our prior report, “Nikkei 225 Technical: Minor corrective decline in progress” published on 6 July 2023. Click here for a recap. The price actions of the Japan 225 Index (a proxy of the Nikkei 225 futures) have extended its minor corrective decline within its medium-term uptrend phase and almost met the 31,530 support as per defined in our earlier report. It printed a current intraday low of 31,769 in today, 12 July Asian session at this time of the writing. Interestingly, several positive elements have emerged that advocate for a potential bullish reversal in price actions at least in the short-term horizon.   The drop in price actions has reached the medium-term ascending channel support   Fig 1:  Japan 225 short-term & medium-term trends as of 12 Jul 2023 (Source: TradingView, click to enlarge chart) The four weeks decline of -6.6% from its 16 June 2023 high of 34,015 has almost reached the lower boundary of the medium-term ascending channel in place since the 15 March 2023 low of 26,449 that is now acting as a support at 31,530. The aforementioned 31,530 support also confluences closely with the 23.6% Fibonacci retracement of the medium-term uptrend from the 15 March 2023 low to the 16 June 2023 high and the 1.236 Fibonacci extension of the minor decline from the 16 June 2023 high to the 27 June 2023 low projected from 3 July 2023 high.    

GBP/USD Higher timeframes Yesterday, on the daily chart, the pound crossed the lower border of the monthly cloud (1.2893). This is an important monthly level, so it may yet have its influence and, thanks to the force of attraction, delay the continuation of the rise. If the bulls maintain activity, the upper border of the monthly cloud (1.3142) serves as their next target in this area.     H4 - H1 On lower timeframes, the bulls are developing an upward trend movement, having a clear advantage. It should be noted that during trend movement, corrective declines are as natural as rises. At the moment, we observe a corrective slowdown around 1.2957 (first resistance of the classic pivot points). Further upward targets within the day are R2 (1.2986) and R3 (1.3038). In case the current correction deepens, the chart on lower timeframes suggests the following levels as supports today: 1.2905 (central pivot point) - 1.2876 (S1) - 1.2824 (S2) - 1.2806 (weekly long-term trend). *** The technical analysis of the situation uses: Higher timeframes - Ichimoku Kinko Hyo (9.26.52) + Fibo Kijun levels Lower timeframes - H1 - Pivot Points (classic) + Moving Average 120 (weekly long-term trend)    

Bank of Canada raises rates by 0.25% US inflation falls to 3.0%, lower than expected The Canadian dollar has posted strong gains in Wednesday’s North American session. In the North American session, USD/CAD is trading at 1.3146, down 0.63%. On the economic calendar, it has been a busy day, with the Bank of Canada raising interest rates and US inflation falling lower than expected.   Bank of Canada hikes by 0.25% The Bank of Canada raised rates by 0.25% on Wednesday, bringing the cash rate to 5.0%. The BoC has delivered 475 basis points in hikes since March 2022 and the aggressive tightening has sent inflation lower. Still, the BoC’s rate statement noted that it remains concerned that progress towards the 2% target could stall and that it does not expect to hit the target before mid-2025. This can be considered a hawkish hike and the Canadian dollar has responded with strong gains on Wednesday.   US inflation falls more than expected Wednesday’s US inflation report should please the Federal Reserve, which has circled high inflation has enemy number one. The June release showed headline inflation falling to 3.0%, down from 4.0% in May. This beat the consensus estimate of 3.1% and was the lowest level since March 2021. Even more importantly, the core rate fell from 5.3% to 4.8%, below the consensus estimate of 5.0%. On a monthly basis, both the headline and core rate came in at 0.2%, below the consensus estimate. The inflation release was excellent news, but isn’t expected to change the Fed’s plans to raise rates at the July 27th meeting. The inflation data didn’t change market pricing for the July meeting (92% chance of a hike), but did raise the chances of a September hike from 72% prior to the inflation release to 80% after the release. Although the jobs report on Friday showed nonfarm payrolls declining considerably, wage growth was higher than expected and likely convinced the Fed to raise rates at the July 26th meeting before taking a pause.   USD/CAD Technical There is resistance at 1.3191 and 1.3289 1.3105 and 1.3049 are providing support    

Stalling at $1,960 Key fib levels remain a big test   Gold is also trading marginally higher today and struggling around a notable resistance level, $1,960. It broke through $1,940 yesterday on the back of the inflation numbers and has now entered retracement territory where a few key levels will be put to the test. From a technical standpoint, those are the 38.2%, 50%, and 61.8% Fibonacci retracement levels – May highs to June lows – which happen to fall around $1,960, $1,980, and $2,000, respectively.     A break of these may indicate that gold is back in bullish territory, although the price may face some resistance in the interim. A look at the 4-hour chart supports the more bullish view in gold but there is scope for corrective moves along the way. We’ve seen some consolidation since breaking $1,940 – which also saw the price break above the 200/233-period simple moving average band. Price has been quite responsive to this in the past. If the price does pull back a little, it will be interesting to see whether it tests $1,940 from above, with a rotation off here viewed to be confirmation of the initial breakout and a bullish signal. Especially with it coinciding with that SMA band.   Gold 4-Hour    

The price of gold climbed as much as 1,963 today, registering a new high. Still, the price action signaled exhausted buyers in the short term, so temporary retreats or sideways movements are natural. It's trading at 1,960 at the time of writing.   Fundamentally, XAU/USD stays higher as the US reported mixed data yesterday. The PPI rose by 0.1% less versus the 0.2% growth expected, while Core PPI reported a 0.1% growth versus the 0.2% growth forecasted. Furthermore, the Unemployment Claims came in at 237K versus 251K estimates. Today, the US Prelim UoM Consumer Sentiment represents a high-impact event and is expected at 65.5 points versus 64.4 points in the previous reporting period. Better-than-expected data could force XAU/USD to drop.   XAU/USD Accumulation!   As you can see on the H1 chart, XAU/USD extended its growth after retesting the 1,935 - 1,931 broken resistance area. Now, it has stabilized above the weekly R2 (1,953) and is fighting hard to reach the upper median line (uml). Technically, the 1,967 former high represents an upside target and resistance. False breakouts through this resistance may announce a potential sell-off. Dropping and closing under the R2 (1,953) activates a larger drop towards the median line (ml).    

Despite the fact that industrial production fell by 2.2% in the euro area, while in the previous month it grew by 0.2%, the euro still rose for another day. And this raises many questions since the euro did not have any reason to rise on Thursday. t was actually the opposite. Apparently, this is not just due to momentum or speculation. It seems that the latest US inflation report convinced many investors of the possibility that the interest rate level of the European Central Bank will be higher in the near future than that of the Federal Reserve. So there is a kind of global reassessment of positions. It doesn't make any sense to discuss the realistic possibility of such a scenario.   All answers will be given after the upcoming meetings of both central banks. For now we can take note of the fact that the dollar is extremely oversold. Therefore, a rebound is simply inevitable. The question is when exactly that will happen.   Clearly, economic data failed to do the job. Although it may be because it hasn't been long since the US inflation report was published. Maybe the market simply ignored yesterday's data. Today, the macroeconomic calendar is absolutely empty, and this is quite suitable for a rebound. But do not forget about the trend, which may persist and continue to push the euro upwards. Moreover, if the reassessment of expectations regarding the disparity of interest rates really is the main driving force, then there's a high degree of probability that we will see an extension of the euro's uptrend.   The EUR/USD pair strengthened in value almost by 300 points since the beginning of the trading week. Such an intense price change over a short period of time indicates that the euro is extremely overbought. On the four-hour chart, the RSI shows a strong signal of the euro's overbought conditions. The indicator moves at the values of 2017, which points to aggressive long positions. On the same time frame, the Alligator's MAs are headed upwards, which corresponds to an uptrend.   Outlook In this situation, a pullback would be the next logical step, however, speculative frenzy could well ignore signals from technical analysis. In this case, this will fuel the momentum of the uptrend, adding to the euro's overbought conditions. The complex indicator analysis unveiled that in the short-term, medium-term and intraday periods, indicators are pointing to an uptrend.    

USD/JPY has shed -5.4% from its 30 June 2023 high of 145.07, on sight to record its worst weekly loss since 7 November 2022. Today’s intraday sell-off has managed to hold at the 200-day moving average acting as support at 137.65. Short-term momentum has turned positive which increases the odds of a corrective rebound. This is a follow-up on our prior analysis “USD/JPY Technical: “At risk of a minor bounce before bearish tone resumes” published earlier this week on 11 July 2023. The USD/JPY has tumbled in an almost straight-line fashion on broke below the 138.70 short-term support as highlighted (click here for a recap). The USD/JPY has torpedoed downwards by -5.40% from its recent high of 145.07 printed on 30 June 2023 to today, 14 July Asian session intraday low of 137.24 at this time of the writing. It has challenged the key 200-day moving average and recorded its worse weekly loss since the week of 7 November 2022. Talks of an imminent ultra-dovish monetary policy shift from the Bank of Japan (BoJ) in the upcoming monetary policy decision meeting on 28 July have started to make their rounds again. In today, 13 July Asian session, there are two news flows that advocate a tilt away from negative interest rates in Japan. Firstly, local Japanese media, Yomiuri reported that BoJ is likely to raise its FY 2023 annual inflation forecast to above 2% for its latest quarterly outlook report which is released on the same day as the upcoming 28 July monetary policy decision outcome. Secondly, former BoJ official, Hideo Hayakawa commented that he is expecting another tweak to the yield curve control programme on 28 July with a more aggressive bias of 50 basis points (bps) widening on the band of around 0% on the 10-year Japanese Government Bonds (JGB) yield to 1% from the current level of 0.5%. Previously, BoJ caught markets by surprise by widening the 10-year JGB yield band by 25 bps on 20 December 2022. Holding at key 200-day moving average   Fig 1:  US/JPY medium-term trend as of 14 Jul 2023 (Source: TradingView, click to enlarge chart) The current decline in place since 30 June 2023 has reached its 200-day moving average which confluences with a graphical support of 137.65 (former swing high areas of 15 December 2022, 8 March 2023, and 2 May 2023). In addition, today’s price action at this time of the writing has formed an impending bullish daily “Hammer” candlestick pattern which indicates that odds have risen for a potential minor rebound in price actions to retrace the prior five days of steep descent.   Positive short-term momentum has emerged     Fig 2:  US/JPY minor short-term trend as of 14 Jul 2023 (Source: TradingView, click to enlarge chart) The hourly RSI oscillator has flashed out another bullish divergence signal at its oversold region and just staged a bullish breakout above a key parallel descending resistance at the 43 level. These observations suggest the recent downside momentum has abated. Watch the 137.65/40 key medium-term pivotal support for a potential corrective rebound scenario with the next intermediate resistances coming in at 139.00 and 139.70/140.10 (also the 38.2% Fibonacci retracement of the current decline from the 30 June 2023 high to today’s 14 July intraday low of 137.24). On the flip side, a break below 137.40 invalidates the corrective rebound to expose the next support at 135.70/50 (the 61.8% Fibonacci retracement of the prior up move from 24 March 2023 low to 30 June 2023 high).  

US retail sales dip, core retail sales rise UK inflation expected to fall The British pound has edged lower on Tuesday. In the North American session, GBP/USD is trading at 1.3038, down 0.27%.     UK inflation expected to fall The UK is lagging behind other major economies in the fight to curb inflation. Will Wednesday’s inflation report bring some good news? In May, CPI remained stuck at 8.7% y/y but is expected to ease to 8.2% in June. The core rate is expected to remain steady at 7.1%. On a monthly basis, headline CPI is expected to fall from 0.7% to 0.4% and the core rate is projected to slow to 0.4%, down from 0.8%. The inflation report could be a game-changer with regard to the Bank of  England’s meeting on August 3rd. The BoE delivered an oversize 50-basis point hike in June and will have to decide between a modest 25-bp hike or another 50-bp increase at the August meeting. Last week’s employment report pointed to wage growth picking up, which moved the dial in favour of a 50-bp increase.   US retail sales report a mixed bag US retail sales for June provided a mixed spending picture. Headline retail sales rose just 0.2% m/m, below the 0.5% consensus estimate and the upwardly revised May reading of 0.5%. Core retail sales were much stronger at 0.6%, above the 0.3% consensus and the upwardly revised May release of 0.3%. The data points to resilience in consumer spending although momentum has slowed. The retail sales report did not change expectations with regard to rate policy, with the Fed expected to raise rates in July and take a pause in September. The Fed has tightened by some 500 basis points in the current rate-hike cycle and this has curbed inflation, which has fallen to 3%. Nevertheless, the Fed remains concerned that the solid US economy and a tight labour market will make it difficult to hit the 2% inflation target, and the Fed hasn’t given any hints that it will wrap up its tightening in July, although the money markets appear to think this is the case.   GBP/USD Technical GBP/USD has support at 1.2995 and 1.2906  There is resistance at 1.3077 and 1.3116    

Canada’s inflation expected to ease US retail sales projected to improve The Canadian dollar is almost unchanged on Tuesday, trading at 1.3204. USD/CAD should show some life in the North American session, with the release of Canadian inflation and US retail sales.     Will Canada’s core inflation fall? Canada releases the June inflation report later today, and the Bank of Canada will be hoping for good news. On an annualized basis, headline inflation is expected to drop to 3.0%, down from 3.4% in June, while the core rate is projected to fall from 3.7% to 3.5%. On a monthly basis, the markets are expecting mixed news. CPI is expected to tick lower to 0.3%, down from 0.4% but core CPI is projected to rise from 0.4% to 0.5%. The Bank of Canada raised rates by 0.25% last week, which brought the benchmark cash rate to 5.0%. The BoC will have some time to monitor the economy, with the next rate meeting on September 6th. The BoC would like to take a pause in September but may have to wait until later in the year if the economy does not show further signs of cooling before the September meeting.   US retail sales expected to climb The US economy is by and large in good shape, despite aggressive tightening by the Federal Reserve in order to curb high inflation. A key driver behind the economy’s strong performance has been consumer spending, which accounts for two-thirds of economic activity. The US releases the June retail sales report later today, with expectations that consumers remain in a spending mood. The consensus estimate for headline retail sales is 0.5% m/m, up from 0.3%, and the core rate is expected to rise 0.3%, up from 0.1%. The retail sales release is unlikely to change expectations that the Fed will raise rates at the July 27th meeting, with a 96% chance of a hike, according to the CME Tool Watch. However, an unexpected reading could lead to a repricing of a September rate hike, which has just a 14% probability. . USD/CAD Technical There is resistance at 1.3205 and 1.3318 1.3106 and 1.3049 are providing support    

Canada’s retail sales expected to slow Former Chair Bernanke says the July hike may be the last increase The Canadian dollar is trading quietly on Friday. In the European session, USD/CAD is trading at 1.3157, down 0.09%. It has been a busy week in the currency markets, with the US dollar rebounding and posting strong gains against the major currencies. The notable exception has been the Canadian dollar, which has held its own against the greenback this week. We could see some movement from USD/CAD in the North American session when Canada releases retail sales for May.   Will Canada’s retail sales point to a softer economy? We’ll get a snapshot of consumer spending later on Friday, as Canada releases the May retail sales report. The markets are bracing for a slowdown in May after an impressive April release. The consensus estimate for retail sales is 0.5% in May, down from 1.1% in April. The core rate is expected to fall to 0.3%, compared to 1.3%. If the estimates prove to be accurate, it would point to the economy cooling down and provide support for the Bank of Canada to take a pause at the next meeting in September.   Is the Fed finally done? The Federal Reserve meets on July 26th and investors have priced in a 0.25% hike as a near certainty. September is less clear, but the markets have priced another hike at just 16%, according to the CME FedWatch tool. Are the markets being too dovish? Fed members have said that inflation isn’t falling fast enough, which could mean that another hike is coming after July. Former Fed Chair Ben Bernanke appeared to side with the market view, saying on Thursday that the July hike could be the final rate increase in the current tightening cycle. Bernanke said that the economy would slow further before the 2% inflation target was reached, but he expected any recession to be mild.   USD/CAD Technical There is resistance at 1.3205 and 1.3318 1.3106 and 1.2993 are providing support  

Last week, Nasdaq 100 underperformed against the other major US stock indices. Nasdaq 100 failed to have a weekly close above 15,690 key medium-term resistance and ended with a weekly bearish “Shooting Star” candlestick pattern. Key near-term support will be at 15,270 (20-day moving average). Last week, the year-to-date highly flying technology-concentrated Nasdaq 100 underperformed with a weekly loss of -0.90% versus weekly gains seen in other major US stock indices; S&P 500 (+0.69%), Dow Jones Industrial Average (+2.08%), and Russell 2000 (+1.51%). The underperformance of the Nasdaq 100 has been caused by the “Magnificent Seven” cohort with weekly losses seen in Telsa (-7.59%), Alphabet (-4.30%), Meta (-4.73%), Amazon (-3.48%), and Nvidia (-2.55%).   Nasdaq 100 failed to have a weekly close above 15,690 key medium-term resistance     Fig 1:  Nasdaq 100 major trend as of 24 Jul 2023 (Source: TradingView, click to enlarge chart) The initial price actions of the US Nas 100 Index (a proxy for the Nasdaq 100 futures) breached above the 15,690 key medium-term resistance in the first half of last week but reintegrated below it last Thursday, 20 July, and failed to have a weekly close above 15,690. In addition, it has formed a weekly bearish “Shooting Star” candlestick pattern which indicates that the bullish sentiment of the medium-term up move in place since the March 2023 low is likely to be exhausted (see weekly chart). Also, the weekly RSI oscillator has traced out a bearish divergence signal at its overbought region which suggests medium-term and major upside momentum has started to wane. These observations increase the risks of a potential multi-week corrective decline below 15,690.   Price actions evolved into a minor downtrend phase     Fig 2:  Nasdaq 100 minor short-term trend as of 24 Jul 2023 (Source: TradingView, click to enlarge chart) Since its 19 July 2023 intraday high of 15,937, the price actions of the Index have traced out a series of “lower highs and lower lows” which indicate a minor downtrend phase is in progress. Watch the 15,690 key pivotal resistance to maintain the minor downtrend with the next near-term support coming in at 15,270 (also the 20-day moving average). However, a clearance above 15,690 negates the bearish tone to see the next resistance at 15,945.

British pound extends losses UK manufacturing and services PMIs decline in July The British pound continues to lose ground. In the North American session, GBP/USD is trading at 1.2822, down 0.23%. The pound has been on a nasty slide, losing over 300 points since July 14th.   UK manufacturing and services PMIs ease in July The week started on a sour note, as the UK manufacturing and services PMIs both slowed in July. Manufacturing fell to 45.0, below the June reading of 46.5 and the consensus estimate of 46.1 points. The manufacturing sector has now declined for 12 straight months and today’s release marked the PMI’s lowest level this year. Services slipped to 51.5, down from 53.7 and shy of the consensus of 52.4 points. This marked a 6-month low and pointed to weaker growth in business activity, which has been a key driver of the economy. It’s a very light data calendar in the UK, with no other tier-1 releases this week. Still, it could be a busy week for GBP/USD, with the Federal Reserve decision on Wednesday and US GDP on Thursday.   Fed expected to hike on Wednesday The Federal Reserve meets on Wednesday and the money markets have priced in a 0.25% hike as a near certainty and are heavily leaning towards a pause in September. This stance may be out of sync with the Fed, as Jerome Powell and other members have voiced concern that inflation isn’t falling fast enough and that could be a hint at further rate hikes after July. With the economy performing well and the labour market remaining tight, an argument can be made that the Fed has a golden opportunity to keep tightening in order to push inflation back to the 2% target. There have been concerns about whether the Fed can guide the economy to a soft landing, but the economic data is looking good and the chances of a major recession are low.   GBP/USD Technical GBP/USD tested resistance at 1.2858 earlier. Next, there is resistance at 1.2932  There is support at 1.2757 and 1.2637  

Australia’s central bank, RBA has kept its policy cash rate unchanged at 4.1% for the second consecutive month. The tonality of the latest monetary policy implies that RBA is now data-dependent, and indirectly acknowledged the negative adverse lagged effects of higher interest rates towards economic growth. Overall, RBA may continue to remain on hold on its policy cash rate at 4.1% for the rest of 2023 which in turn negates any potential major bullish movement of the AUD/USD.   Expectations of interest rates traders were right in line with the Australian central bank, RBA’s latest monetary policy decision (no interest rate hike today) that was in contrast to the 25-basis points hike consensus from the majority of the economists surveyed. RBA has decided to hold on to its official policy cash rate at 4.1% for the second consecutive month; data from the ASX 30-day interbank cash rate futures as of 31 July 2023 has indicated a patty pricing of only a 14% chance of a 25-bps hike, down significantly from a 41% chance being priced a week ago. These are the key takeaways from today’s RBA monetary policy statement;   The Board has decided to hold the interest rate steady this month to access the impact of the prior rate increases and monitor the economic outlook. Risk of below-trend growth for the Australian economy due to weak household consumption growth and dwelling investment. The labour market has remained tight, with job vacancies and postings at high levels, though labour shortages have lessened. But the unemployment rate is expected to rise gradually from 3.5% to around 4.5% in late 2024. Even though wage growth has picked up due to the tight labour market and high inflation but wage growth, together with productivity growth remains consistent with the inflation target.   The current growth rate of 6% inflation in Australia is still considered too high. The central forecast expects CPI inflation will decline to around 3.5% by the end of 2024 and revert to the target range of 2% to 3% by late 2025. The Board may consider further tightening of monetary policy to ensure inflation returns to the target range of 2% to 3% depending on data and evolving risk assessments.   Switched to being “data-dependent” suggests RBA may stand pat on interest rates till end of 2023 The last point as mentioned above stood up starkly, in the previous July’s monetary policy statement, it was noted as “some further tightening of monetary policy may be required to ensure that inflation returns to target in a reasonable timeframe, but that will depend upon how the economy and inflation evolve”. In today’s monetary policy, it has been stated as “that will depend upon the data and the evolving assessment of risks”. Hence, this latest framing of being data-dependent, and acknowledging the implied negative adverse lagged effects of a higher interest rate environment towards economic growth (risk assessment) seems to portray that if the recent trend of key economic indicators continues their respective trajectories, it is likely the RBA may continue to remain on hold on its policy cash rate at 4.1% for the rest of 2023 while monitoring the global inflationary environment.     Lacklustre sentiment for AUD/USD AUD/USD minor short-term trend as of 1 Aug 2023 (Source: TradingView, click to enlarge chart)  A “data-dependent” RBA has knocked out the bullish tone of AUD/USD after a reprieve rebound seen yesterday, 31 July where the pair staged a minor rebound of 117 pips from its last Friday, 28 July intraday low of 0.6622 to an intraday high of 0.6739 during yesterday’s US session. Right now, it has shed -81 pips to print a current intraday low of 0.6657 at this time of the writing, and the Aussie is the worst performer intraday today, 1 Aug (-0.65%) among the major currencies against the US dollar; EUR (-0.03%), CHF (-0.03%), GBP (-0.07%), CAD (-0.22%), and JPY, (-0.34%). The Aussie has resumed its underperformance against the US dollar seen in the last two trading days of last week where the AUD/USD recorded an accumulated loss of -1.68% from 27 July to 28 July versus EUR/USD (-0.63%), GBP/USD (-0.71%), and JPY/USD (-0.65%) over the same period ex-post FOMC, ECB, and BoJ. From a technical analysis standpoint, short-term bearish momentum remains intact as yesterday’s rebound has failed to surpass the 200-day moving average after a re-test on it, now acting as a key short-term pivotal resistance at around 0.6740 with the next major support coming in at 0.6600/6580.  

AUD underperformed among the major currencies against the USD from 27 to 28 July 2023 ex-post FOMC, ECB, and BoJ. Split view among economists and interest rates traders on RBA monetary policy decision today. Short-term bearish downside momentum at this juncture as the AUD/USD failed to trade above the 200-day moving average. Key short-term resistance on AUD/USD is at 0.6740. This is a follow-up analysis of our prior report, “AUD/USD Technical: Rebounded right at 200-day moving average” published on 25 July 2023. Click here for a recap. The AUD/USD staged a rebound thereafter and reached an intraday high of 0.6821 on 27 July, just shy of the 0.6835 intermediate before it staged a bearish reversal and shed -198 pips ex-post FOMC, ECB, and BoJ to print an intraday low of 0.6623 on last Friday, 28 July. The Aussie has underperformed among the major currencies against the US dollar in the last two trading days of last week where the AUD/USD recorded an accumulated loss of -1.68% from 27 July to 28 July versus EUR/USD (-0.63%), GBP/USD (-0.71%), and JPY/USD (-0.65%) over the same period. The weak performance of the AUD/USD is likely to be attributed to the wishy-washy monetary policy guidance of the Australian central bank, RBA that led to a split forecast among economists and traders for today’s RBA monetary policy decision. Split view among economists and traders on RBA decision According to polls, the consensus among economists is calling for a hike of 25 basis points hike to bring the policy cash rate to 4.35% after a pause in the previous meeting in July. In contrast, data from the ASX 30-day interbank cash rate futures as of 31 July 2023 has indicated a patty pricing of only a 14% chance of a 25-bps hike, down significantly from a 41% chance priced a week ago.     Fig 1: AUD/USD medium-term trend as of 1 Aug 2023 (Source: TradingView, click to enlarge chart) From a technical analysis standpoint, the price actions of the AUD/USD are still trapped within a major sideway range configuration with its range resistance and support at 0.6930 and 0.6580 respectively.       Fig 2: AUD/USD minor short-term trend as of 1 Aug 2023 (Source: TradingView, click to enlarge chart) The AUD/USD has managed to stage a minor rebound of 117 pips from its last Friday, 28 July intraday low of 0.6622 in conjunction with an oversold reading seen in the hourly RSI oscillator on the same day. Interestingly, the minor rebound has challenged and retreated at the key 200-day moving average yesterday, 31 July during the US session (printed an intraday high of 0.6739). Right now, the hourly RSI oscillator has broken below its ascending support after it hit an overbought condition yesterday which indicates that short-term momentum has turned bearish. Watch the 0.6740 key short-term pivotal resistance to maintain the bearish tone, and a break below 0.6625 intermediate support exposes the major range support of 0.6600/6580. However, a clearance above 0.6740 negates the bearish tone to see the next resistance at 0.6835 in the first step.  

NZD/USD is down 1% China’s Caixin Mfg. PMI contracted in July The New Zealand dollar continues to show sharp volatility early in the week. In Tuesday’s European session, NZD/USD is trading at 0.6142, down 1.06%. The decline has wiped out the gains the New Zealand dollar made on Monday when it rose 0.85%. China’s Caixin Mfg. PMI declines China’s recovery has been bumpy, and this week’s PMIs didn’t bring any good news. The Caixin Manufacturing PMI for July declined for the first time in three months, falling from 50.5 to 49.2 and missing the consensus estimate of 50.3 points. On Monday, the official PMIs pointed to weak activity, with manufacturing coming in at 49.3 and non-manufacturing at 51.5 points. The 50.0 line divides expansion from contraction. The weak Caixin Manufacturing PMI has sent the New Zealand dollar sharply lower on Tuesday. China is a key trading partner for New Zealand and the New Zealand dollar is sensitive to Chinese economic releases. New Zealand’s labour market has been tight, which has interfered with the central bank’s efforts to bring inflation back to the 2% target. We’ll get a look at the second-quarter employment report on Wednesday, and the data may not be to the Reserve Bank’s liking. Employment Change is expected to rise by 0.5%, compared to 0.8% in Q1. The unemployment rate is projected to inch higher to 3.5% in the second quarter, up from 3.4% in the first quarter. There aren’t many tier-1 releases ahead of the Reserve Bank’s meeting on August 16th, which makes Wednesday’s employment report doubly important. If, as expected, the data shows that the labour market is robust, it will support the Reserve Bank raising rates. Conversely, a weak employment report would be a reason for the central bank to take a pause from raising rates. In the US, the manufacturing data reaffirmed weakness in the sector. The ISM Manufacturing PMI for July improved from 46.0 to 46.4 but missed the estimate of 46.8. ISM Manufacturing Employment slipped to 44.4, down from 48.1 and shy of the estimate of 48.0 points.     NZD/USD Technical NZD/USD has pushed below support at 0.6184. Below, there is support at 0.6093 0.6246 and 0.6337 are the next resistance lines  

  Australia’s central bank, RBA has kept its policy cash rate unchanged at 4.1% for the second consecutive month. The tonality of the latest monetary policy implies that RBA is now data-dependent, and indirectly acknowledged the negative adverse lagged effects of higher interest rates towards economic growth. Overall, RBA may continue to remain on hold on its policy cash rate at 4.1% for the rest of 2023 which in turn negates any potential major bullish movement of the AUD/USD. Expectations of interest rates traders were right in line with the Australian central bank, RBA’s latest monetary policy decision (no interest rate hike today) that was in contrast to the 25-basis points hike consensus from the majority of the economists surveyed. RBA has decided to hold on to its official policy cash rate at 4.1% for the second consecutive month; data from the ASX 30-day interbank cash rate futures as of 31 July 2023 has indicated a patty pricing of only a 14% chance of a 25-bps hike, down significantly from a 41% chance being priced a week ago. These are the key takeaways from today’s RBA monetary policy statement; The Board has decided to hold the interest rate steady this month to access the impact of the prior rate increases and monitor the economic outlook. Risk of below-trend growth for the Australian economy due to weak household consumption growth and dwelling investment. The labour market has remained tight, with job vacancies and postings at high levels, though labour shortages have lessened. But the unemployment rate is expected to rise gradually from 3.5% to around 4.5% in late 2024. Even though wage growth has picked up due to the tight labour market and high inflation but wage growth, together with productivity growth remains consistent with the inflation target. The current growth rate of 6% inflation in Australia is still considered too high. The central forecast expects CPI inflation will decline to around 3.5% by the end of 2024 and revert to the target range of 2% to 3% by late 2025. The Board may consider further tightening of monetary policy to ensure inflation returns to the target range of 2% to 3% depending on data and evolving risk assessments.   Switched to being “data-dependent” suggests RBA may stand pat on interest rates till end of 2023 The last point as mentioned above stood up starkly, in the previous July’s monetary policy statement, it was noted as “some further tightening of monetary policy may be required to ensure that inflation returns to target in a reasonable timeframe, but that will depend upon how the economy and inflation evolve”. In today’s monetary policy, it has been stated as “that will depend upon the data and the evolving assessment of risks”. Hence, this latest framing of being data-dependent, and acknowledging the implied negative adverse lagged effects of a higher interest rate environment towards economic growth (risk assessment) seems to portray that if the recent trend of key economic indicators continues their respective trajectories, it is likely the RBA may continue to remain on hold on its policy cash rate at 4.1% for the rest of 2023 while monitoring the global inflationary environment.   Lacklustre sentiment for AUD/USD     AUD/USD minor short-term trend as of 1 Aug 2023 (Source: TradingView, click to enlarge chart)  A “data-dependent” RBA has knocked out the bullish tone of AUD/USD after a reprieve rebound seen yesterday, 31 July where the pair staged a minor rebound of 117 pips from its last Friday, 28 July intraday low of 0.6622 to an intraday high of 0.6739 during yesterday’s US session. Right now, it has shed -81 pips to print a current intraday low of 0.6657 at this time of the writing, and the Aussie is the worst performer intraday today, 1 Aug (-0.65%) among the major currencies against the US dollar; EUR (-0.03%), CHF (-0.03%), GBP (-0.07%), CAD (-0.22%), and JPY, (-0.34%). The Aussie has resumed its underperformance against the US dollar seen in the last two trading days of last week where the AUD/USD recorded an accumulated loss of -1.68% from 27 July to 28 July versus EUR/USD (-0.63%), GBP/USD (-0.71%), and JPY/USD (-0.65%) over the same period ex-post FOMC, ECB, and BoJ. From a technical analysis standpoint, short-term bearish momentum remains intact as yesterday’s rebound has failed to surpass the 200-day moving average after a re-test on it, now acting as a key short-term pivotal resistance at around 0.6740 with the next major support coming in at 0.6600/6580.    

AUD underperformed among the major currencies against the USD from 27 to 28 July 2023 ex-post FOMC, ECB, and BoJ. Split view among economists and interest rates traders on RBA monetary policy decision today. Short-term bearish downside momentum at this juncture as the AUD/USD failed to trade above the 200-day moving average. Key short-term resistance on AUD/USD is at 0.6740. This is a follow-up analysis of our prior report, “AUD/USD Technical: Rebounded right at 200-day moving average” published on 25 July 2023. Click here for a recap. The AUD/USD staged a rebound thereafter and reached an intraday high of 0.6821 on 27 July, just shy of the 0.6835 intermediate before it staged a bearish reversal and shed -198 pips ex-post FOMC, ECB, and BoJ to print an intraday low of 0.6623 on last Friday, 28 July. The Aussie has underperformed among the major currencies against the US dollar in the last two trading days of last week where the AUD/USD recorded an accumulated loss of -1.68% from 27 July to 28 July versus EUR/USD (-0.63%), GBP/USD (-0.71%), and JPY/USD (-0.65%) over the same period. The weak performance of the AUD/USD is likely to be attributed to the wishy-washy monetary policy guidance of the Australian central bank, RBA that led to a split forecast among economists and traders for today’s RBA monetary policy decision.   Split view among economists and traders on RBA decision According to polls, the consensus among economists is calling for a hike of 25 basis points hike to bring the policy cash rate to 4.35% after a pause in the previous meeting in July. In contrast, data from the ASX 30-day interbank cash rate futures as of 31 July 2023 has indicated a patty pricing of only a 14% chance of a 25-bps hike, down significantly from a 41% chance priced a week ago.     Fig 1: AUD/USD medium-term trend as of 1 Aug 2023 (Source: TradingView, click to enlarge chart) From a technical analysis standpoint, the price actions of the AUD/USD are still trapped within a major sideway range configuration with its range resistance and support at 0.6930 and 0.6580 respectively.   Short-term momentum has turned bearish   Fig 2: AUD/USD minor short-term trend as of 1 Aug 2023 (Source: TradingView, click to enlarge chart) The AUD/USD has managed to stage a minor rebound of 117 pips from its last Friday, 28 July intraday low of 0.6622 in conjunction with an oversold reading seen in the hourly RSI oscillator on the same day. Interestingly, the minor rebound has challenged and retreated at the key 200-day moving average yesterday, 31 July during the US session (printed an intraday high of 0.6739). Right now, the hourly RSI oscillator has broken below its ascending support after it hit an overbought condition yesterday which indicates that short-term momentum has turned bearish. Watch the 0.6740 key short-term pivotal resistance to maintain the bearish tone, and a break below 0.6625 intermediate support exposes the major range support of 0.6600/6580. However, a clearance above 0.6740 negates the bearish tone to see the next resistance at 0.6835 in the first step.

German Factory Orders jump 7.0% US nonfarm payrolls expected to dip to 200,000 The euro is almost unchanged on Friday, trading at 1.0952. We could see some movement in the North American session, with the release of US nonfarm payrolls. The euro has shown sharp swings lately.  EUR/USD climbed to 1.1275 on July 18th, its highest level since February 2022. It has been all downhill since then, with the euro tumbling over 300 basis points.   Soft German PMIs reflective of weak eurozone economy It hasn’t been the best week for Germany, the largest economy in the eurozone and the bellwether of the bloc. The July PMIs pointed to deceleration in both services and manufacturing. The Services PMI remained in expansion territory but slipped from 54.1 to 52.3, its lowest level since February. Manufacturing is in terrible shape, with the PMI falling from 40.6 to 38.8, its weakest reading since May 2020. German retail sales declined 0.8% in June, down from 1.9% in May. The week did end with some good news, as German Factory Orders jumped 7.0% m/m in June, up from 6.2% in May and blowing past the consensus estimate of -2.0%. We’ll get a look at German Industrial Production on Monday and CPI on Tuesday. For the ECB, the weak numbers out of Germany are an indication that the central bank’s tightening cycle is working, but what comes next is a tricky question. Inflation has slowed to 5.5%, but that is much higher than the 2% target. The ECB hasn’t paused its rate hikes since the tightening cycle began in July 2022 but there is some pressure on the ECB to take a break at the September meeting in order to avoid a recession. ECB President Lagarde is keeping mum, saying that a pause or a hike are both on the table. With no guidance from the ECB, about all investors can do is keep an eye on inflation and employment releases, which will be crucial to the ECB’s decision at the next meeting.   Markets expect soft US nonfarm payrolls All eyes are on nonfarm payrolls, one of the most important US releases. In June, a massive ADP employment report fuelled expectations that nonfarm payrolls would also soar. In the end, nonfarm payrolls fell to 209,000, down sharply from a downwardly revised 306,000. ADP again soared this week with a reading of 324,000. We’ll have to wait and see if nonfarm payrolls come in around the consensus estimate of 200,000 or follow ADP and move sharply higher. . EUR/USD Technical 1.0924 remains under pressure in support. Below, there is support at 1.0831 There is resistance at 1.1037 and 1.1130  

On the daily chart of the AUD/USD Commodity currency pair, a deviation appears between price movements and the CCI Histogram indicator which is also stuck at level 0, indicating that the AUD/USD upward movement is being halted by resistance and the presence of a Bearish 123 pattern followed by a Bearish Ross Hook ( RH) plus the price movement is below WMA 20 which all indicates that as long as there is no significant upward rally, especially if it manages to break above the 0.6824 level, AUD/USD in the next few days has the potential to weaken down to the 0.6460 level.    

On the daily chart of the AUD/USD Commodity currency pair, a deviation appears between price movements and the CCI Histogram indicator which is also stuck at level 0, indicating that the AUD/USD upward movement is being halted by resistance and the presence of a Bearish 123 pattern followed by a Bearish Ross Hook ( RH) plus the price movement is below WMA 20 which all indicates that as long as there is no significant upward rally, especially if it manages to break above the 0.6824 level, AUD/USD in the next few days has the potential to weaken down to the 0.6460 level.    

Because the CCI indicator managed to break down its three main levels and is now stuck at level 0 which indicates a resistance on the daily chart of the main USD/CHF currency pair, as long as USD/CHF is not corrected upwards beyond the 0.8804 level then in the next few days the currency pair This currency will try to go down to test the 0.8551 level as its main target and if the momentum and volatility are sufficiently supportive then the 0.8458 area level will be the next target to go.  

RBA says decision to pause was close call Australia to release confidence data on Tuesday US employment report a mixed bag The Australian dollar is coming off another rough week, with losses of 1.17%. The currency has looked dreadful, losing close to 300 points since July 17th. In Monday’s European session, AUD/USD is trading at  0.6556, down 0.20%. RBA in ‘wait and see’ mode The week wrapped up with the Reserve Bank of Australia’s quarterly policy statement, which didn’t reveal anything dramatic. The RBA paused rates for a second straight time last week and the statement indicated that the central bank is in a ‘wait and see’ mode with its rate policy. The RBA’s view is that inflation risks remain “broadly balanced” as it strives to guide the economy to a soft landing after an aggressive tightening campaign. The statement noted that the RBA has been divided on its rate path, saying that at the July and August meetings, the board considered raising rates. In the end, those members in favour of a pause won the day at both meetings, a signal that inflation is falling down fast enough for most members. The statement maintained the RBA’s forecast that inflation will drop to 4.1% by the end of the year and to 2% by the end of 2025, with core inflation dropping to 2.9% by mid-2025. We’ll get a look at Australian confidence data on Tuesday, with the markets braced for soft readings. Westpac Consumer Confidence is expected to dip to 80.7 in August, down from 81.3 in July. The NAB Business Confidence index is projected to decline to -3 in July, following the zero reading in June.   US employment report a mixed bag The July employment report was a mix. Nonfarm payrolls were soft at 187,000, despite a banner ADP release which fuelled expectations of a breakout nonfarm payrolls release. Job growth is slowing, but the unemployment rate ticked lower to 3.5% down from 3.6%, and wage growth stayed steady at 4.4%. The money markets are expecting the Federal Reserve to take a pause at the September meeting, with a probability of 84%, according to the FedWatch. It’s entirely possible that the Fed is done with tightening, but that will depend to a large extent on upcoming inflation and employment data. . AUD/USD Technical There is resistance at 0.6607 and 0.6700 0.6475 and 0.6382 are providing support  

The resilience of the eurozone's economy breeds complacency. This is an extremely dangerous feeling given the ongoing monetary policy tightening by the European Central Bank, which is in effect with a time lag. According to Bloomberg's research, a 425 bps increase in the interest rate since the beginning of the cycle will harm the currency bloc's GDP by 3.8%. Taking into account the negative impact of the energy crisis and the withdrawal of fiscal stimulus measures, this figure will rise to 5%. It's no wonder that members of the Governing Council are starting to doubt whether monetary tightening should be continued in September, and EUR/USD is falling.     In reality, most investors, according to ING's opinion, still believe that the euro will rise against the US dollar by the end of the year. Bloomberg's expert consensus on the main currency pair stands at 1.12. Moreover, the corrections of 5% in February, 4% in May, and 3% in July-August in EUR/USD indicate the strength of the uptrend. It is becoming more challenging for the bears to push the quotes lower. However, expectations are one thing, and reality is another.   Strengthening the euro requires an improvement in the health of the global economy. Then procyclical currencies will become the favorites. Unfortunately, this is not happening at the moment. Meanwhile, the strength of the US labor market makes the Federal Reserve keep its finger on the pulse. FOMC official Michelle Bowman believes that the central bank will need to raise the federal funds rate from 5.5% to 5.75%. The US dollar is supported by a favorable external backdrop, such as rising bond yields due to massive Treasury issuances, credit rating downgrades by Fitch, and the start of the normalization of the Bank of Japan's monetary policy.   At the same time, there is a pullback in stock markets that have been surging for five consecutive months. The worsening global risk appetite is a powerful driver of EUR/USD's decline. In this scenario, investors' demand for the dollar as a safe-haven asset increases. The bears have one more trump card up their sleeve.   Despite the stability of the US economy, the business cycle has not been canceled. 67% of investors-respondents of MLIV PULSE believe that by the end of 2024 a recession will hit the US. Moreover, 20% of those polled predict a recession already in the current year. It's as if they don't believe the Fed, which no longer considers a downturn scenario in 2023.       Thus, the euro is currently not living up to expectations, and the weakness of the eurozone's economy could lead to a premature end to the cycle of monetary tightening by the ECB. On the contrary, the US dollar is in demand among investors due to the strength of the US economy, its safe-haven status, and the rally in Treasury bond yields.   Technically, on the daily chart of EUR/USD, the Three Indians pattern continues to unfold. We successfully utilized the retracement by shorting on the bounce from the resistance at 1.1035. We are holding the position and raising it on a breakthrough below the support level at 1.0965    

US inflation expected to rise to 3.3% UK GDP projected to fall to 0% Fed member Harker says rates may have peaked The British pound has had a relatively quiet week. In the North American session, GBP/USD is trading at 1.2731, down 0.13%. Markets eye US inflation, British GDP It has been a quiet week on the data calendar, with no tier-1 events out of the UK or the US. The rest of the week will be busier, with the US inflation report on Thursday and UK GDP on Friday. That could mean some volatility for the sleepy British pound. US inflation expected to rise The Federal Reserve’s aggressive tightening campaign has made its impact felt, as inflation has been falling and dropped to 3.0% in June. Headline CPI is expected to rise to 3.3% in July, while the core rate is expected to remain steady at 4.8%. Will an uptick in inflation change the Fed’s rate path? Probably not, especially if Jerome Powell follows the view that he has often stated, which is that a rate policy is not based on one or two inflation reports. The money markets are confident that the Fed will take a pause at the September 20th meeting, with an 86% probability according to the FedWatch tool. Another pause in November is likely (71% probability), but a higher-than-expected inflation report on Thursday would likely raise the odds of a rate hike in November.   Fed member Harker said on Tuesday that the Fed might be done raising rates, “absent any alarming new data”. Harker said that rates would need to stay at the current high levels “for a while” and went as far as to say that the Fed would likely cut rates at some point in 2024. The UK economy is not in good shape and the possibility of a recession is very real. GDP is expected to flatline in Q2 (0.0%) after a weak gain of 0.1% in the first quarter. A weaker-than-expected GDP reading could spook investors and send the British pound lower.     GBP/USD Technical GBP/USD is testing support at 1.2747. The next support level is 1.2622  1.2874 and 1.2999 are the next resistance lines

New Zealand inflation expectations rise to 2.83% China’s inflation decreases for the first time since February 2021 The New Zealand dollar is showing limited movement on Wednesday, trading at 0.6060 in the European session. New Zealand inflation expectations nudge higher to 2.83% Like most major central banks, the Reserve Bank of New Zealand has been waging a long and tough battle against inflation by raising interest rates. CPI fell to 6.0% in the second quarter, down from 6.7%. That’s certainly good news, but let’s remember that inflation is still rising sharply and is much higher than the RBNZ’s 2% target. The central bank is also concerned about inflation expectations, which can become embedded when inflation is high and translate into even higher inflation. Wednesday’s 2-year inflation expectations release showed a rise to 2.83% in the third quarter, up from 2.79% in the second quarter. One-year inflation expectations fell to 4.17% in Q3, down from 4.17% in Q2. The data indicates that inflation expectations remain high, and that perception could make the life of policy makers more difficult in the fight to bring down inflation. The RBNZ has a long way to go before inflation falls to the 2% target, and that will likely mean further rate hikes unless inflation levels fall sharply. The RBNZ held rates at 5 .50% in July and meets next on August 16th.   China is experiencing a bumpy recovery, and that is bad news for the global economy. Commodity currencies such as the New Zealand dollar are sensitive to Chinese economic releases and a soft Chinese trade release on Tuesday sent NZD/USD lower by as much as 80 basis points. The bad news continued on Wednesday as China’s CPI for July declined by 0.3% y/y, down from 0.0% in June and just above the consensus estimate of -0.4%. This marked the first decrease in CPI since February 2021 and points to weakness in the Chinese economy, which will likely mean less demand for New Zealand exports, a negative scenario for the New Zealand dollar.   NZD/USD Technical NZD/USD continues to put pressure on support at 0.6031. Below, there is support at 0.5964 0.6129 and 0.6196 are the next resistance lines  

US inflation accelerates by 3.2% UK GDP expected to rise 0.1% in Q2 The British pound showed some strength earlier but reversed directions and lost ground after the US inflation report. In the North American session, GBP/USD is trading at 1.2725, up 0.05%. US headline CPI rises, core rate ticks lower The US inflation report was somewhat of a mix, but most important was that both headline and core inflation were within expectations. This meant that the reaction of the US dollar was muted following the inflation release. Headline CPI climbed to 3.2% y/y in July, above the June reading of 3.0% but shy of the consensus estimate of 3.0%. This marked the first time in 13 months that headline CPI accelerated, but the upswing isn’t all that significant, as it was due to base effects. Core CPI ticked lower to 4.7% y/y in July, down from 4.8% in June. The Fed will be encouraged by the fact that on a monthly basis, both headline and core CPI posted a very modest gain of 0.2%, matching the estimate and unchanged from June. Inflation has fallen sharply in recent months, but the Fed will find it more difficult to bring core inflation down to the 2% target. The sharp drop in energy prices has sent headline CPI lower, but the core rate excludes food and energy prices. Inflation is being driven by services and wages, which explains why core CPI is so much higher than headline CPI. The inflation report has cemented the Fed holding rates in September, barring a huge surprise. The odds of a pause have risen to 90%, up from 86% prior to the inflation report, according to the CME FedWatch tool. The Fed may well be done with the current rate-tightening cycle, but don’t expect to hear that from anyone at the Fed, which does not want the markets to become too complacent about inflation.   UK GDP expected to rise by 0.1% The UK will post preliminary GDP on Friday. The consensus estimate stands at 0.1% q/q for the second quarter. If GDP misses the estimate and falls into negative territory, investors could get nervous and send the pound lower. Conversely, if GDP beats the estimate, the pound could gain ground. The Bank of England will be watching carefully, as it digests key economic data ahead of the next meeting on September 21st. . GBP/USD Technical GBP/USD is testing resistance at 1.2747. The next resistance line is 1.2874  1.2622 and 1.2495 are providing support  

A strong inflation number could send it lower again Major support zone below Gold appears to be stabilizing a little ahead of the US CPI report, with traders paying close attention to the outcome as it could ultimately determine whether the yellow metal breaks the June lows or rebounds higher. Prices have been pressured by rising yields and a stronger dollar recently as traders have pushed back expectations around rate cuts for next year. While they appear confident that the Fed is done with tightening – for now – they’re less sure we’ll see the kind of easing that they were so convinced of earlier in the year. Another promising CPI release could change that and so today really is quite significant. There’s still a long way to go but the US has made significant progress, even at the core level, and more is expected over the rest of the year. If it can do so at a more accelerated rate than currently envisaged then gold could prosper.   The June lows not only represent a prior area of support, they also combine with the 200/233-day simple moving average band to create a potentially significant technical zone.     XAUUSD Daily     A move below here could be viewed as particularly bearish as it would indicate the recovery earlier in July was merely a corrective move. That said, a failure to make new lows would also be interesting as it may signal that the recent weakness was only temporary and traders are defending that support zone. Of course, much may depend on the data we see over the coming weeks.  

The New Zealand dollar has extended its slide for a fourth straight day. In the European session, NZD/USD is trading at 0.6005, down 0.26%. New Zealand It’s been an awful ride for the New Zealand currency, which is down 1.50% this week. NZD/USD hasn’t posted a winning week since early July and has plunged 270 basis points since then. The latest setback for the New Zealand dollar is the soft data out of China, which is New Zealand’s biggest trading partner. China’s highly-touted recovery has been a bust. The government abruptly shifted its Covid policy from zero tolerance to reopening the economy, and the hope was that economic activity would soar. Instead, domestic demand has been weak and a soft global economy has meant less demand for Chinese goods. This week’s trade release indicated in a decline in China’s exports and imports. The economy has slowed to such an extent that the country is officially in a deflation phase – CPI for July declined for the first time since February 2021. A slowdown in China is especially bad news for commodity currencies like the New Zealand dollar, which has fallen sharply this week due to the soft trade and inflation reports out of China. If the Chinese economy weakens further, I would expect the New Zealand dollar to lose even more ground. The Reserve Bank of New Zealand meets on August 16th and there is a strong likelihood that it will hold rates for a second straight month. The RBNZ has been signalling that its rate-tightening cycle is over but that it will maintain rates in restrictive territory. This could well mean an extended pause until the central bank feels that conditions are ripe for rate cuts. New Zealand inflation has been moving in the right direction, but the current 6% clip is much too high. The key question is whether high rates will filter into the economy and continue to push inflation lower without the need for additional rate hikes. The RBNZ will be keeping a close eye on inflation and employment numbers in order to determine its future rate path.   US inflation rises, but Fed expected to pause US headline inflation rose in July to 3.2%, above the June gain of 3.0% but below the 3.3% consensus estimate. Core CPI nudged lower to 4.7% in July compared to the June reading of 4.8% which was also the estimate. The report was within expectations and should cement a pause in rates in September, with the odds of a rate hike at just 10%, according to the CME FedWatch. . NZD/USD Technical NZD/USD is testing support at 0.6031. Below, there is support at 0.5964 0.6129 and 0.6196 are the next resistance lines  

Recent bullish breakout from “Descending Wedge” has led to a 10% rally to reach a medium-term resistance zone of US$83.80/84.90. Technical elements are now advocating a potential corrective pull-back with supports coming in at US$79.80 and US$77.20. Today’s surprise three interest rate cuts by China’s central bank, PBoC has triggered a risk-off behaviour in cross-assets (FX, stock indices, commodities) via a negative reflexivity feedback loop.   This is a follow-up analysis of our prior report, “WTI Oil Technical: Potential bullish reversal Descending Wedge in play” published on 21 July 2023. Click here for a recap. The price actions of West Texas Oil (a proxy of WTI crude oil futures) have indeed shaped the bullish breakout from its “Descending Wedge” configuration on 24 July and rallied by +10% to print an intraday high of US$84.92 per barrel on last Thursday, 10 August which coincided with a medium-term resistance zone of US$83.80/84.90 (see daily chart). Today, West Texas Oil has shed almost -1% intraday at this time of the writing to print an intraday low of $81.60 that recorded an accumulated loss of -3.7% in the past two sessions since Thursday, 10 August high of US$84.92. The current weakness of oil has been in line with a broad-based risk-off behaviour seen in cross-assets today (FX, major stock indices & industrial metals commodities) attributed to the contagion fear in China’s financial system after a major trust fund failed to make timely payments to holders of its wealth management products that are backed by unsold properties of indebted property developers. Today’s unexpected interest rate cut by China’s central bank, PBoC on its 1-year medium-term lending facility (MLF) interest rate by 15 basis points (bps), more than the previous 10 bps cut implemented in June to bring it down to 2.50%, its lowest level since late 2009. The 1-year MLF rate is a benchmark interest rate in China where PBoC provides a credit line to major commercial banks which in turn acts as a guide for another two benchmark interest rates that commercial banks charged to customers: the 1-year and 5-year loan prime rates. Interestingly, PBoC enacted two more interest rate cuts today on the overnight standing lending facility (SLF) which was cut by 10 bps to 2.65% while the 7-day and 1-month SLF rates were cut by 10 bps each to 2.80% and 3.15% respectively. Three interest rate cuts in a single day are considered a “rare” event in China given that the current guidance from China’s top policymakers is in favour of targeted stimulus policies to address the current economic growth slowdown rather than enacting “opening the liquidity floodgate” measures. Hence, today’s surprise move on China’s more accommodative monetary policy stance is perceived as a heightened red alert on its financial system where trust firms’ default risks have risen that may trigger a systemic contagion which in turn created the negative reflexivity feedback loop seen today.     Daily RSI oscillator conditions suggest an imminent short-term pull-back   Fig 1:  West Texas Oil medium-term trend as of 15 Aug 2023 (Source: TradingView, click to enlarge chart) The daily RSI oscillator flashed a bearish divergence condition at its overbought region on 9 August 2023 which suggests that the medium-term upside momentum of West Texas Oil is overstretched, and its price actions face the risk of a corrective pull-back to retrace certain portions of the current 26% rally of its medium-term uptrend phase from 28 June 2023 low of US$66.95. A bearish breakdown below minor ascending channel support   Fig 2:  West Texas Oil minor short-term trend as of 15 Aug 2023 (Source: TradingView, click to enlarge chart) Today’s price actions of West Texas Oil have staged a bearish breakdown below its minor ascending channel support from the 28 June 2023 low. Watch the US$83.80 key short-term pivotal resistance to maintain the short-term bearish tone to see the next support coming in at US$79.80 and a break below it exposes US$77.20 next (also the key 200-day moving average). On the flip side, a clearance above US$83.80 invalidates the corrective pull-back scenario for a retest of the 10 August 2023 swing high area of US$84.90 and a clearance above it sees the next resistance coming in at US$87.00 (psychology level & Fibonacci extension).  

Nine-week corrective decline from the 16 June 2023 high has almost reached a key inflection/support level of 31,130. Short-term momentum indicates an overstretched down move from the 10 August 2023 minor swing high, increasing the odds of a potential rebound in price actions. Intermediate resistances to watch will be at 31,760 and 32,380. This is a follow-up analysis of our prior report, “Nikkei 225 Technical: On the verge of a potential multi-week corrective decline” published on 2 August 2023. Click here for a recap. The price actions of the Japan 225 Index (a proxy of the Nikkei 225 futures) have staged the expected corrective decline and tumbled by -3.5% from 2 August to print a current intraday low of 31,248 in today, 18 August Asian session at this time of the writing. Interestingly, several key elements are now advocating for a potential rebound.   The current decline has almost reached a key inflection/support level of 31,130     Fig 1:  Japan 225 medium-term trend as of 18 Aug 2023 (Source: TradingView, click to enlarge chart) The current intraday low of 31,248 is now right above the upward-sloping 100-day moving average, former ascending channel resistance from the 9 March 2023 high, and 38.2% Fibonacci retracement of the prior medium-term up move from the 15 March 2023 low to 16 June 2023 high that all confluences with the 31, 130 support.     Downside momentum of current minor down move has shown signs of easing     Fig 2:  Japan 225 minor short-term trend as of 18 Aug 2023 (Source: TradingView, click to enlarge chart) The most recent down move in place since 10 August 2023 minor swing high of 32,830 has started to ease in terms of momentum analysis as depicted by the bullish divergence condition flashed out today on the hourly RSI oscillator at its oversold region. Given that the nine-week of corrective decline from the 16 June 2023 high of 34,015 within its major uptrend phase that is still intact has reached close to key support of 31,130 coupled with positive short-term momentum, the Index may see a short-term rebound at this juncture. Watch the 31,130 short-term pivotal support and a clearance above 31,760 sees the next intermediate resistance at 32,380. However, failure to hold at 31,130 exposes the next support coming in at 30,720 which is also the former swing high areas of 16 February/14 September 2014.

Japanese yen rebounds, but intervention worries remain Japan releases July inflation on Friday The Japanese yen has bounced back on Thursday after failing to post a winning day since August 4th. In the North American session, USD/JPY is trading at 145.92, down 0.30%. USD/JPY has been the worst performer among the major currencies over the past month, declining about 7%. The yen dropped below the 146 line on Wednesday which marked a new nine-month low. The Japanese currency lost ground in the aftermath of the Federal Reserve minutes, in which members expressed concern about high inflation. The sharp depreciation of the Japanese currency is raising concerns that Japan’s Ministry of Finance (MOF) could respond by intervening in the currency markets in order to prop up the yen. The yen is now trading at levels at which the MOF shocked the markets last September and instructed the Bank of Japan to sell billions of dollars in support of the yen. The MOF and the BoJ have stated in the past that they are more concerned with sharp swings in the exchange rate and not so much with a particular value for the yen. The yen has plunged about 800 points since late July which means that another intervention cannot be ruled out. The US/Japan rate differential has been widening, with the yen depreciating as a result. The economic troubles in China have led to a sharp drop in the Chinese yuan, which is another factor weighing on the ailing yen. Japan releases the July CPI inflation report on Friday. Headline CPI is expected to fall from 3.3% to 2.5%, while the core rate is projected to dip from 3.3% to 3.1%. The ‘core-core’ rate, which excludes food and energy items, is projected to rise to 4.3%, up from 4.2%. Any surprises from the inflation report could mean volatility for the Japanese yen.   USD/JPY Technical There is resistance at 146.74 and 147.31 USD/JPY tested support at 145.71 earlier. Below, there is support at 144.92  

UK retail sales expected to slip in July Fed minutes note concern about inflation The British pound has extended its gains on Thursday. In the North American session, GBP/USD is trading at 1.2772, up 0.32%. UK retail sales expected to decline The UK will wrap up a busy week with retail sales on Friday. The July report is expected to show a decline in consumer spending. Headline retail sales are expected to fall by 0.5% after a 0.7% gain in May and core retail sales are projected to decline by 0.7% after a 0.8% increase in May. The June numbers were higher than expected despite high inflation, helped by record-hot weather. Will the July data also surprise to the upside? The UK consumer has been grappling with the highest inflation in the G7 club, which means shoppers are getting less for their money. This has dampened consumption, a key driver of the economy. Energy prices are lower, thanks to the energy price cap, but food inflation continues to soar and was 17.4% y/y in June. Consumer confidence has been mired deep in negative territory and the GfK consumer confidence index, which will be released later today, is expected at -29, almost unchanged from the previous release of -30 points. The Bank of England would like to follow some of the other major central banks that are in a pause phase, but the grim inflation picture may force the BoE to keep raising interest rates, which could tip the weak economy into a recession. Wage growth jumped to 7.8% in the three months to June, up from 7.5% in the previous period. In July, headline CPI fell to 6.9%, down sharply from 7.9%, but core CPI remains sticky, and was unchanged at 6.9%. The data points to a wage-price spiral which could impede the BoE’s efforts to curb inflation.   The Federal Reserve remains concerned about high inflation and said that additional rate hikes might be needed, according to the minutes of the July meeting. At the meeting, the Fed raised rates by 0.25%, a move that was widely anticipated. Most members “continued to see significant upside risks to inflation, which could require further tightening of monetary policy”. At the same, time, members expressed uncertainty over the future rate path since there were signs that inflationary pressures could be easing.   GBP/USD Technical GBP/USD is testing resistance at 1.2787. The next resistance line is 1.2879  1.2726 and 1.2634 are providing support    

AUD/USD touches 9-month low Australian job growth slips Fed minutes note concern about inflation The Australian dollar has been on a nasty slide. Earlier, AUD/USD fell as low as 0.6364, a nine-month low, before recovering. In the European session, AUD/USD is trading at 0.6433, up 0.16%. Australia’s job growth slides Australia’s labour market has been surprisingly robust in the face of the central bank’s aggressive tightening, but cracks have finally appeared. Employment in Australia fell by 14,600 in July, compared to a downwardly revised gain of 31,600 in May and missing the consensus estimate of 15,000. The unemployment rate rose to 3.7% in July, up from the previous reading of 3.5% and above the estimate of 3.6%. This is the highest level since April. The Reserve Bank of Australia has repeatedly stated that its rate decisions will be based on the data, and inflation and employment reports are likely the most critical readings for the RBA. July’s soft jobs report has dragged the Aussie lower and should cement a third successive pause from the RBA at the September meeting. The benchmark cash rate currently stands at 4.10% and the futures markets have priced in a 50-50 chance of one more quarter-point hike before the end of the year. If inflation continues to head lower, the RBA will be able to look at trimming rates sometime in 2024. The Federal Reserve remains concerned about high inflation and said that additional rate hikes might be needed, according to the minutes of the July meeting. At the meeting, the Fed raised rates by 0.25%, a move that was widely anticipated. Most members “continued to see significant upside risks to inflation, which could require further tightening of monetary policy”.       Inflation has fallen to 3.2%, but members agreed inflation is “unacceptably high”. Most members saw a  significant upside risk to inflation, but interestingly, the minutes noted that there is uncertainty over the future rate path since there were also signs that inflationary pressures could be easing. . AUD/USD Technical AUD/USD is testing support at 0.6402. This is followed by support at 0.6319 0.6449 and 0.6532 are the next resistance lines

EUR/USD As a result of yesterday, the euro fell slightly, jumping to the resistance level of 1.0924 with its upper shadow. The bears showed strength, but the bulls also showed persistence. Similar price spikes to the upside have been happening for three consecutive days. The signal line of the Marlin oscillator starts to turn upward.     Apparently, the price will stay in the 1.0865-1.0924 range, consolidating below the MACD line (blue moving average). We generally have a downtrend, so if the price breaches the support level at 1.0865 again, it can also aim for 1.0834.     On the four-hour chart, the price and the oscillator have made something similar to a double convergence. In the first stage, consolidating above the MACD line (1.0889) will allow the price to aim for 1.0924. Then, the price may try to overcome the MACD line on the daily chart (1.0942). But for now, the sideways movement has a bigger chance.

Weak medium-term momentum may kickstart a medium-term downtrend phase for AUD/JPY. Key short-term resistance stands at 93.70 with a potential downside trigger at 92.80. This is a follow-up analysis of our prior report, “AUD/JPY: Minor downtrend remains intact” published on 28 June 2023. Click here for a recap. Since its 19 June 2023 high of 97.67, the price actions of the AUD/JPY have continued to shape lower highs despite a retest and rebound on its key 200-day moving average after it printed an intraday low of 91.79 on 28 July 2023 ex-post Bank of Japan (BoJ)’s flexible yield curve control announcement on the 10-year Japanese Government Bond. Technical analysis suggests that the AUD/JPY is now at heightened risk to evolve into a medium-term downtrend phase.   Fig 1:  AUD/JPY medium-term trend as of 21 Aug 2023 (Source: TradingView, click to enlarge chart) Last Friday, 18 August, AUD/JPY managed to stall its prior three days of decline at a key support/inflection level of 92.80 which is being defined by a confluence of elements; the former swing high areas of 26 January/14 February/21 February 2023, and medium-term ascending trendline from 24 March 2023 low of 86.06. However, elements are not showing signs of any bullish reversal at this juncture with bearish momentum reading seen in the daily RSI oscillator as it inched lower from the 50 level and has not reached oversold condition.     Fig 2:  AUD/JPY minor short-term trend as of 21 Aug 2023 (Source: TradingView, click to enlarge chart) The price actions of AUD/JPY have oscillated within a minor descending channel in place since 15 August 2023 minor swing high of 94.87 which suggested that further potential downside may materialize at least in the short-term horizon. Watch the 93.70 key short-term pivotal resistance and a break below 92.80 near-term support exposes the next support at 92.00 (also the 200-day moving average) in the first step. On the other hand, a clearance above 93.70 invalidates the bearish bias to see the next intermediate resistance at 94.90 (also the 50-day moving average).

Japan’s core CPI eases in July The decline supports expectations that BoJ will maintain policy USD/JPY has dipped lower on Friday The Japanese yen has extended its gains on Friday. In the North American session, USD/JPY is trading at 145.29, down 0.38%. The month of August has been kind to the US dollar, which has posted strong gains against all of the major currencies. USD/JPY has risen 2.34% in that period and on Thursday, the yen fell as low as 146.56, a nine-month low against the US dollar. The yen has been the worst performer among the majors over the past month, and the currency’s sharp depreciation has raised speculation that Tokyo could respond by intervening in the currency markets. Japan’s Ministry of Finance (MOF) shocked the markets in September 2022 when it intervened and bought billions of dollars with yen, which propped up the Japanese currency. At that time, the yen was also trading around the 146 level, and that has many investors on edge that the MOF may be planning another intervention.   Japan’s core CPI eases in July Japan’s inflation has been hovering above 3% for a prolonged period, higher than the Bank of Japan’s target of 2%. The BoJ has insisted that it will not loosen its ultra-accommodative monetary policy until it has evidence that inflation is sustainable, such as higher wage growth. The markets are not taking the BoJ at its word, as the BoJ keeps its cards very close to the chest in order to surprise the market when it shifts policy. Clearly, transparency is not high on the BoJ’s list, in contrast to the Federal Reserve and other major central banks. Since inflation data could well lead to a shift in policy, every inflation report out of Japan attracts significant attention. The July CPI report, released today, was no exception. Core CPI, which excludes fresh food, eased to 3.1% y/y, matching the consensus estimate and down from 3.3% in June. The indicator is closely watched by the BoJ and the decline supports expectations that the BoJ will maintain its current policy. This, despite the fact that Core CPI has now exceeded the BoJ’s 2% inflation target for 16 consecutive months.   The BoJ is not expected to make any major shifts to policy in the near-term, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that the central bank will stay completely on the sidelines. At the July meeting, the BoJ surprised the markets with a tweak to its monetary policy which provided more flexibility to the 10-year bond yield cap. Governor Ueda insisted that this was not a move towards normalization, but investors have learned the hard way that the BoJ is not hesitant to make policy moves that have blindsided the markets.   USD/JPY Technical USD/JPY is testing support at 145.71. Below, there is support at 144.07 There is resistance at 1.4640 and 147.31  

The Australian dollar’s slide continues Evergrande bankruptcy raises contagion fears It has been all red for the Australian dollar, as AUD/USD has closed lower for eight straight days and declined 230 basis points during that time. The downswing has continued on Friday, as AUD/USD is trading at 0.6390 in the European session, down 0.20%. There are no Australian or US releases today, so I expect a calm day for AUD/USD.   Evergrande collapse raises contagion fears Chinese economic releases have looked weak in recent weeks, with exports and imports in decline, a slump in domestic demand, and soft services and manufacturing data. The news from Evergrande, one of the country’s largest property developers, is one more headache that the Chinese economy could do without. Evergrande filed for bankruptcy in New York on Thursday. The company defaulted on its massive debt in 2021, which triggered a massive property crisis in China and damaged the country’s financial system. The bankruptcy has raised fears that China’s property sector problems could spread to the rest of the economy, which is experiencing deflation and is suffering from weak growth. There are growing concerns about the stability of the Chinese economy and the Evergrande bankruptcy has raised contagion fears, similar to when the company defaulted on its debt. Australia is particularly sensitive to economic developments in China, which is Australia’s largest trading partner. A slowdown in China has meant less demand for Australian exports, and that has contributed to the Australian dollar’s sharp slide, with the currency plunging a massive 4.93% in August.   In the US, there was unexpected good news from the manufacturing sector on Thursday. Manufacturing has been in the doldrums worldwide, as high inflation and weak demand have taken a heavy toll. The US is no exception, but Philly Fed Manufacturing sparkled in August with a reading of +12, up sharply from -13.5 in July and blowing past the consensus estimate of -10 points.   AUD/USD Technical AUD/USD is testing support at 0.6402. This is followed by support at 0.6319 0.6449 and 0.6532 are the next resistance lines    

AUD/USD close to 9-month lows China fails to cut 5-year LPR   The Australian dollar is steady at the start of the new trading week. In the European session, AUD/USD is unchanged at 0.6404. It’s a very quiet week for Australian releases, with no tier-1 releases. On Wednesday, Australia releases services and manufacturing PMIs for August. Services and manufacturing both contracted in July, with readings below the 50.0 level. The Aussie has hit a rough patch and has reeled off five straight losing weeks against the US dollar, sliding over 400 basis points in that period. The economic picture in China continues to deteriorate, and this has been a major reason for the Australian dollar’s sharp deterioration. China is Australia’s number one trading partner, and when China sneezes there’s a good chance Australia will catch a cold. China’s economic data has been pointing downward and the world’s second-largest economy is experiencing deflation. Last week, Evergrande, a huge Chinese property developer, filed for bankruptcy in New York, raising fears of contagion to other parts of the economy. The People’s Bank of China (PBOC) responded to the economic slowdown with a surprise cut to the one-year medium-term lending rate. The central bank was expected to follow up with cuts to the one-year and five-year loan prime rates (LPR). On Monday, the PBOC trimmed its one-year LPR from 3.55% to 3.45%, but surprisingly, did not lower the 5-year LPR, a key lending rate that affects mortgages. Lower lending rates are intended to boost credit demand, but the central bank’s lukewarm move is unlikely to provide much of a boost to China’s ailing economy. That does not bode well for the struggling Australian dollar, and if China’s economy continues to show signs of weakening, I would expect the Australian dollar to continue losing ground.   AUD/USD Technical AUD/USD is putting pressure on resistance at 0.6431. Next, there is resistance at 0.6496 There is support at 0.6339 and 0.6274  

Technical outlook: EUR/USD has carved a fresh low at 1.0845 last week remaining just shy of initial support around 1.0830. The single currency pair has pulled back since then and is seen to be trading above 1.0880 at this point in writing. The bulls are likely to push prices towards the 1.1000-50 area before the next leg resumes lower. EUR/USD has broken its one-year trend line support as seen on the daily chart here. The probability remains for a push through the backside of the support-turned-resistance zone, which is seen around the 1.1000-50 zone before turning lower towards the 1.0500 Fibonacci target. Also, note that the entire rally between 0.9535 and 1.1275 could be retraced with prices reaching 1.0200. EUR/USD seems to have also carved a lower-degree downswing between 1.1275 and 1.0845 which could be retraced in the next few trading sessions. The Fibonacci 0.618 retracement is seen passing through 1.1150 which could be tested before the next leg resumes lower again. A push through 1.0920 will confirm that a corrective rally is underway.       Trading idea: A potential rally towards 1.1150 in the near term remains possible.  

Buyer liquidity began to accumulate behind the very important extreme for buyers in EUR/USD located at 1.08340.   In fact, on the M15 timeframe, a breakdown occurred around the level of 1.09.   Market players can take this opportunity to open short positions at the test of 1.0930, with stop-loss placed at 1.09200 and take-profit set upon the breakdown of 1.08350. The trading idea came from the framework of the "Price Action" and "Stop Hunting" strategies. Good luck in trading and don't forget to control the risks! Have a nice day.  

EUR/USD   Higher Timeframes Bearish players slowly and cautiously broke through the daily cloud last week, reinforced by the weekly medium-term trend (1.0898), and closed the week below the encountered supports. Consolidation in the bearish zone relative to the cloud and continued decline opens new perspectives and opportunities. The nearest supports now are 1.0835–05 (monthly short-term trend + final level of the weekly cross). Further attention will be directed to the support of the monthly medium-term trend (1.0725) and the achievement of the daily target for breaking the Ichimoku cloud. A change of mood and a return to the market of bullish players will bring back the relevance of the attraction and influence of the weekly medium-term trend (1.0898), and above, the market will face resistance from the lower border of the daily cloud and the daily short-term trend (1.0954). There is a fairly wide resistance zone from levels of different timeframes above (1.0986 – 1.1001 – 1.1055 – 1.1112).     H4 – H1 As of writing, the main advantage on the lower timeframes belongs to the bearish players. However, the pair is in the correction zone, using the central pivot point (1.0871) as the current support. The next resistance is the weekly long-term trend (1.0896). This level is key and is responsible for the current balance of power. Consolidation above and a reversal of the moving average can transfer the main advantage to the bullish side. The next targets for the intraday rise will be the resistance levels of the classic pivot points (1.0920 – 1.0945). If the correction stops and the pair updates the low of the correction (1.0846), the downward trend will be restored. Targets for the continuation of the decline will be the supports of the classic pivot points (1.0822 – 1.0798). GBP/USD   Higher Timeframes Last week, the pair once again tested the weekly support (1.2629) for strength and again marked the slowdown and rebound. The daily cloud continued to support the bullish players. As a result, the pair consolidated above the daily short-term trend (1.2715) in the daily cloud. The unpassed and left-behind levels (1.2629 – 1.2597) still retain their value and continue to serve as the nearest important supports for this area. Just as the resistance zone 1.2816 – 1.2865 – 1.2893 – 1.2940 (levels of the daily Ichimoku cross + weekly short-term trend + lower border of the monthly cloud) has not changed its position and significance. H4 – H1 On the lower timeframes, there is uncertainty. The key levels today have joined forces around 1.2721–28 (central pivot point + weekly long-term trend). A prolonged stay above the key levels has allowed the bullish players to retain some advantage, thus forming a bullish target for breaking the H4 cloud (1.2798 – 1.2818). In the development of directional movement, the classic pivot points will come into play. The bullish players will benefit from resistances (1.2767 – 1.2805 – 1.2844), while the bearish players will need supports (1.2690 – 1.2651 – 1.2613).     ***   The technical analysis of the situation uses: Higher timeframes - Ichimoku Kinko Hyo (9.26.52) + Fibo Kijun levels Lower timeframes - H1 - Pivot Points (classic) + Moving Average 120 (weekly long-term trend      

Expect the US dollar rally to extend    The US dollar broadly weakened across the board, helping majors to take some breather. The dollar index fell back towards its 200-DMA, the EURUSD settles above the 1.09 mark this morning, while Cable bulls eye a further rise toward the 50-DMA, which stands a touch below the 1.28 level. But looking at the US dollar and the real yields, the end of last year's dollar really coincides with a peak in 10-year real yield. Both started retreating in Q3 of last year. The dollar retreated relatively faster. And now that the real yields are on the rise again, there is little reason to keep the USD on a bearish trend for the months ahead.   The dollar rally which started by mid-July should further develop, and there is significant room for further correction before we could technically call the end of the dollar's bearish trend. In numbers, the dollar index will still be in a bearish trend below the 105.40 mark. Until that level is reached, investors don't have much to lose for jumping on the back of a bull.  

The Japanese yen faced considerable losses on Monday as USD/JPY surged to 146.23 during the North American session, marking a 0.57% increase for the day. The US dollar's strength has propelled it dangerously close to pushing the yen below the critical 146 line, a scenario witnessed last week when the robust US dollar drove the struggling yen to a nine-month low. Once synonymous with deflation, the Japanese economy has undergone a significant transformation in the era of high global inflation. With Japan's inflation hovering slightly above 3%, a level that many major central banks would eagerly welcome, the landscape has shifted. Notably, inflation remains relatively high by Japanese standards, as both headline and core inflation have consistently outpaced the Bank of Japan's (BoJ) 2% target. Japan's inflation data is closely scrutinized as the prospect of elevated inflation sparks speculations that the BoJ might need to tighten its lenient policy stance. Although the central bank has maintained that the high inflation is transitory, it's worth remembering that other central banks have made similar claims only to backtrack later. The Federal Reserve (Fed) and the European Central Bank (ECB) come to mind as examples. In the previous week, July's Consumer Price Index (CPI) remained steady at 3.3% year-on-year, while Core CPI experienced a slight dip to 3.1% year-on-year from the previous 3.3%. Looking ahead, Tuesday brings the release of BoJ Core CPI, the central bank's favored inflation metric, which is projected to decrease to 2.7% for July, down from June's 3.0%.   USD/JPY pushes above 146 line Bank of Japan’s Core CPI is expected to ease to 2.7% The Japanese yen has posted significant losses on Monday. USD/JPY is trading at 146.23 in the North American session, up 0.57% on the day. The US dollar has looked sharp and is within a whisker of pushing the yen below the 146 line, as was the case last week when the strong US dollar pushed the ailing yen to a nine-month low. The Japanese economy was once synonymous with deflation, but that has changed in the era of high global inflation. Japan’s inflation is slightly above 3%, a level that other major central banks would take in a heartbeat. Still, inflation is relatively high by Japanese standards and both headline and core inflation have persistently been above the Bank of Japan’s 2% target. Japan’s inflation reports are carefully monitored as higher inflation has raised speculation that the BoJ will have to tighten its loose policy. The central bank has insisted that high inflation is transient, but the BoJ wouldn’t be the first bank to make that claim and then backtrack with its tail between its legs. Remember the Fed and the ECB? Last week, July’s CPI remained unchanged at 3.3% y/y. Core CPI dropped to 3.1% y/y, down from 3.3%. On Tuesday, Japan releases BoJ Core CPI, the central bank’s preferred inflation gauge, which is expected to dip to 2.7% in July, down from 3.0% in June. China’s economic troubles have sent the Chinese yuan sharply lower, with the Chinese currency falling about 5% this year against the US dollar. A weak yuan makes Chinese exports more attractive, but this is at the expense of other exporters including Japan. As a result, there is pressure in Japan to lower the value of the yen in order to compete with Chinese exports.   USD/JPY Technical USD/JPY pushed above resistance at 145.54 earlier today. The next resistance line is 146.41 There is support at 144.51 and 143.64    

Canadian Dollar Experiences Biggest Intra-day Gain Since End of July. The Canadian dollar has been experiencing a steady weakening against the US dollar since mid-July. The ongoing bullish uptrend of USD/CAD is meeting resistance as foreign exchange traders speculate on the possibility of the Fed and BOC being close to completing their tightening cycles with one more rate hike. Major resistance at the 1.36 level could hold, potentially leading to a pullback targeting the 1.3454 level, the current 200-day SMA. The upcoming week might bring a hawkish stance from Fed Chair Powell, which could revive the king dollar trade. Oil Market Rally Fizzles Amid Strong Dollar Trade and Rising Real Yields Crude oil prices initially rallied in the morning, driven by expectations of a tight oil market due to current backwardation trends. However, the surge in real yields and a potential strong dollar resurgence after Jackson Hole are contributing to the reversal of the oil price rally. While risks to crude demand are emerging, the oil market's tightness should provide some support.     Dollar supported as 10-year Treasury hits 4.34%, highest levels since financial crisis Oil market to remain tight, but so far offers little help for the loonie Loonie was having biggest intra-day gain since end of July   The Canadian dollar has been steadily weakening against the greenback since the middle of July.  The USD/CAD bullish uptrend appears to be facing some resistance as FX traders anticipate both the Fed and BOC are possibly one more rate hike away from being done with tightening. It appears that major resistance from the 1.36 level might hold, so if a pullback emerges, downside could target the 1.3454 level, which is currently the 200-day SMA.  If markets get a very hawkish Fed Chair Powell this week could see the return of the king dollar trade.   Oil The morning oil price rally is fizzling as the strong dollar trade might be back given the surge in real yields.  Crude prices were much higher in early trade on expectations that the oil market would remain tight given the current backwardation. Risks to the crude demand outlook are growing, especially after China disappointed with last night’s easing, but for now a tight market should keep oil supported. The biggest risk for energy traders is if we see a massive wave of dollar strength after Jackson Hole. Right now there are so many oil drivers and most support higher prices. Heating oil prices are elevated and that might continue.  Iran nuclear talks won’t be having any breakthroughs anytime soon. Gulf of Mexico oil production could be at risk as a few formations build on the Atlantic.     Gold Gold’s worst enemy is surging real yields.  It was supposed to be a quiet start to the week for gold with China coming to the rescue and some calm before Friday’s Jackson Hole speech by Fed Chair Powell.  There is a little bit of nervousness from the long-term bulls as gold futures are getting dangerously close to the $1900 level, which could trigger a wave of technical selling.  It seems gold needs some disorderly stress in financial markets for it to rally and that doesn’t seem like it is happening anytime soon. The outlook for the next few quarters is cloudy at best, but it seems that there is still too much strength in the economy that is dampening safe-haven flows for gold.  It doesn’t help that hedge funds are throwing in the towel for gold, which now has net-long positions at a five month low.        

The euro started the week on a stable note, with little response to the eurozone inflation report released on Friday. In the North American session, EUR/USD is trading at 1.0886, reflecting a minor increase of 0.13%. Given the sparse data calendar for Monday, it is expected that the euro will maintain its calm trajectory for the rest of the day. Eurozone Inflation Trends: Headline Falls, Core Remains Unchanged The past week concluded with a eurozone inflation report that brought about a mixed reaction. The euro displayed minimal volatility in response to the data. The headline inflation rate for June was confirmed at 5.3% year-on-year (y/y), down from 5.5% in the previous month. This decline marked the lowest level observed since January 2022, primarily driven by a drop in energy prices.     Markets show little reaction to Friday’s eurozone inflation report Headline inflation falls but core rate unchanged The euro is steady at the start of the week. In the North American session, EUR/USD is trading at 1.0886, up 0.13%. With a very light data calendar on Monday, I expect the euro to remain calm for the remainder of the day.   Eurozone headline inflation falls, core inflation unchanged The week ended with a mixed inflation report out of the eurozone and the euro showed little reaction. Inflation was confirmed at 5.3% y/y in June, down from 5.5% in June. This marked the lowest level since January 2022 and was driven by a decline in energy prices. Core CPI remained unchanged at 5.5% in July, confirming the initial reading. The news was less encouraging from services inflation, which rose from 5.4% to 5.6% with strong wage growth driving the upswing. The labour market remains tight and inflation is still high, which suggests that wage pressure will continue to increase. Inflation has been moving in the right direction but core inflation and services inflation remain sticky and are raising doubts, within the ECB and outside, if the central bank’s aggressive tightening cycle can bring inflation back to the 2% target. The deposit rate stands at 3.75%, its highest level since 2000. The ECB’s primary goal is to curb inflation but policy makers cannot ignore that additional rate hikes could tip the weak eurozone economy into a recession. The ECB meets next on September 14th and there aren’t many key releases ahead of the meeting. ECB President Lagarde has said that all options are open and investors will be listening to any comments coming out of the ECB, looking for clues as to whether the ECB will raise rates next month or take a pause.   EUR/USD Technical EUR/USD tested resistance at 1.0893 earlier. Above, there is resistance at 1.0940 There is support at 1.0825 and 1.0778    

The CHF is the second-best performing major currency against the USD based on a one-month rolling basis. The recent four weeks of up move of USD/CHF has flashed out bullish exhaustion conditions that advocate the potential continuation of its medium-term impulsive down move. 0.8800/8830 is the key resistance zone to watch on the USD/CHF. In the past four weeks, the Swiss Franc (CHF) is the second best-performing major currency against the USD where the CHF just depreciated by -1.40% with the GBP that has come in the first place (-0.67% against the USD) based on a one-month rolling calculation as of 22 August 2023 at this time of the writing.         Fig 1:  Rolling 1-month performance of USD against major currencies as of 22 August 2023 (Source: TradingView, click to enlarge chart) In the lens of technical analysis, the rally of +269 pips that was seen on the USD/CHF from its 27 July 2023 low of 0.8553 to the recent 21 August 2023 high of 0.8828 is likely to be a corrective rebound within a medium-term downtrend that is still intact since its 8 March 2023 due to the emergence of several bullish exhaustion elements.     Daily bearish candlestick emerged right at descending channel resistance     Fig 2:  USD/CHF medium-term trend as of 22 Aug 2023 (Source: TradingView, click to enlarge chart) Yesterday’s price action of USD/CHF has staged a bearish reaction right at the upper boundary of the medium-term descending channel that coincides with the downward-sloping 50-day moving average with both acting as a confluence of resistance at 0.8830.     Started to evolve into a minor downtrend     Fig 3:  USD/CHF minor short-term trend as of 22 Aug 2023 (Source: TradingView, click to enlarge chart) Since its 21 August 2023 high of 0.8828, the price actions of USD/CHF have started to oscillate into a minor downtrend in a series of “lower highs and lower lows”. Watch the 0.8800 key short-term pivotal resistance a break below 0.8755 near-term support (also the 20-day moving average) exposing the next support at 0.8700 (minor swing lows of 4/10 August 2023) in the first step. On the flip side, a clearance above 0.8800 negates the bearish tone to set sight again on the 0.8830 medium-term resistance.      

Early in the European session, gold (XAU/USD) is trading around 1,894.45, above the 21 SMA, and below the 200 EMA located at 1,904. On the H1 chart, we can see that gold broke the bearish trend channel formed since August 8 and it is expected to consolidate above 1/8 Murray located at 1,890 in the next few hours.     If this scenario occurs, then the instrument could reach the 200 EMA located at 1,904 or go up to 2/8 Murray located at 1,906. 10-year US Treasury yields are trading above 4.3% as investors expect the Fed to continue raising interest rates in September 2023. Bonds and gold are inversely correlated. Since these are overbought, a fall in bonds is expected in the next few days, so it will be seen as an opportunity to buy gold.   We can see that gold is overbought according to the 1-hour chart. Hence, we could expect a technical correction to occur in the next few hours towards the 1,888 area and then from there, a technical rebound could follow.   In case the XAU/USD pair continues to rise, we could expect it to reach 1,906. We could use this opportunity to sell. The eagle indicator is showing an overbought signal. We expect gold to reach the 1,888 level and this will give us an opportunity to buy at a low price. Conversely, a sharp break below the low reached so far around 1,885, could be seen as a continuation of the downward movement. Therefore, the instrument could reach 1,875 and finally 1,867.  

Yesterday, the pair formed several good signals to enter the market. Let's analyze what happened on the 5-minute chart. In my morning review, I mentioned the level of 1.2726 as a possible entry point. A decline and false breakout at this mark generated a good buy signal. As a result, the pair rose by 15 pips. During the US session, a false breakout and retracement below 1.2753 gave a sell signal. As a result, the pair fell by 25 pips.     COT report: The Commitments of Traders (COT) report for August 15 recorded an increase in both long and short positions. Traders built up positions after the UK GDP report, which was better than economists' expectations. US inflation cooling also had an impact on the balance of power, supporting the pound, as well as persistent core pressure in the UK. Federal Reserve officials will hold their annual Jackson Hole symposium later this week, which could lead to even more strengthening of the British Pound in the short term. The focus will be on Fed Chair Jerome Powell's speech about US monetary policy. As before, the optimal strategy is to buy the pound on dips, as the difference in the policies of the central banks will affect the prospects of the US dollar, putting pressure on it. The latest COT report indicates that long positions of the non-commercial group of traders rose by 7,302 to 90,541, while short positions jumped by 3,334 to 39,553. As a result, the spread between long and short positions narrowed by 607. The weekly closing price dropped to 1.2708 compared to the prior value of 1.2749.     For long positions on GBP/USD: Today, the UK will publish reports on public sector net borrowing and the CBI's industrial trends orders. In the event of weak reports, it would be best to act on a decline and false breakout near the new support level at 1.2751. Just below this level are the bullish moving averages, which will form a good entry point for long positions leading to an upward move targeting the resistance at 1.2783. The pair has not been able to get out of this since August 17. A breakout and a downward retest of this range will form an additional buy signal and will reinforce the pound sterling, allowing it to reach a new high of 1.2812. If the pair goes above this range, it might break towards 1.2847, where I will take profits. If GBP/USD declines and there is no buying activity at 1.2751, especially if the UK publishes weak data, the pair will continue to trade within a sideways channel with the bulls having the upper hand. In this case, only the defense of the 1.2723 area and its false breakout would give a signal for opening long positions. I will open long positions immediately on a rebound from 1.2689, keeping in mind a daily correction of 30-35 pips.   For short positions on GBP/USD: Bearish traders did their best yesterday, but buyers are clearly interested in a lower value of the pound. In the first half of the day, it is important to keep the pair below 1.2783. A breakout of this level will produce a sell signal with a prospect of falling to the support at 1.2751, formed yesterday and where a real battle will unfold. A breakout of this level and its upward retest will create an entry point for short positions with a target of 1.2723. The ultimate target is the low at 1.2689 where I will be locking in profits. If GBP/USD trends upward during the European session and if no selling activity is observed at 1.2783, amid strong UK reports, the bulls will maintain control of the market, and will start an upward correction. In such a scenario, a false breakout near the next resistance at 1.2812 would provide an entry point for going short. If there is no downward movement there, I would sell the pound right on a rebound from 1.2847, keeping in mind an intraday correction of 30-35 pips.     Indicator signals: Moving Averages Trading is taking place above the 30-day and 50-day moving averages, which suggests that GBP/USD will recover. Please note that the time period and levels of the moving averages are analyzed only for the H1 chart, which differs from the general definition of the classic daily moving averages on the D1 chart.     Bollinger Bands If GBP/USD grows, the indicator's upper border near 1.2780 will serve as resistance. If GBP/USD falls, the indicator's lower border near 1.2735 will serve as support.   Description of indicators: • A moving average of a 50-day period determines the current trend by smoothing volatility and noise; marked in yellow on the chart; • A moving average of a 30-day period determines the current trend by smoothing volatility and noise; marked in green on the chart; • MACD Indicator (Moving Average Convergence/Divergence) Fast EMA with a 12-day period; Slow EMA with a 26-day period. SMA with a 9-day period; • Bollinger Bands: 20-day period; • Non-commercial traders are speculators such as individual traders, hedge funds, and large institutions who use the futures market for speculative purposes and meet certain requirements; • Long non-commercial positions represent the total number of long positions opened by non-commercial traders; • Short non-commercial positions represent the total number of short positions opened by non-commercial traders; • The non-commercial net position is the difference between short and long positions of non-commercial traders.  

USD/JPY Yesterday, the USD/JPY pair broke above the resistance level of 145.90. The 147.95 level is just ahead – an embedded line of the global price channel, and slightly above it is the target level of 148.50. However, the Marlin oscillator is turning downwards on the daily chart, which could indicate that the bearish correction has not yet ended.     The nearest support for this correction is the 144.73 mark, which the MACD line (blue moving average) is approaching. If the price consolidates below the level of 144.73, it may fall to 142.82. This morning, the price was unable to overcome the resistance of the MACD line on the four-hour chart. The signal line of the oscillator is returning to the area of negative values.     The first condition for restoring the correction is the price consolidating below the level of 145.90 on this chart. The first sign of succeeding growth will be the price consolidating above yesterday's high, which will automatically turn into a consolidation above the MACD line

NZD/USD posts strong gains on Tuesday New Zealand retail sales are expected to decline by 2.6%   The New Zealand dollar has posted strong gains on Tuesday. In the European session, NZD/USD is trading at 0.5959, up 0.55%. On the data calendar, New Zealand retail sales are expected to decline by 2.6% q/q in the second quarter, compared to -1.4% in Q1. The New Zealand dollar has gone on a dreadful slide since mid-July, falling as much as 500 basis points during that spell. The current downswing has been driven by weak global demand and jitters over China’s economy, which is showing alarming signs of deterioration. Chinese releases have been pointing downward recently. Exports and imports have fallen, manufacturing activity is weak and the world’s second-largest economy is experiencing deflation. Last week, Evergrande, a huge Chinese property developer, filed for bankruptcy in the United States, raising fears of contagion to other parts of the economy. It wasn’t long ago that the Chinese ‘miracle’ was being touted as an economic powerhouse on the global stage, but now the world’s second-largest economy is in deep trouble and is dragging down global growth. An interesting silver lining is that deflation in China could help lower inflation worldwide, which would be good news for the Fed, ECB and other central banks that are battling to push inflation lower. The People’s Bank of China (PBOC) has responded in recent days to the economic slowdown with some cuts to lending rates, but surprisingly, has not trimmed the five-year loan prime rate, which has a major impact on mortgages. The PBOC’s lukewarm move to the economic crisis could mean China’s economy will continue to sputter, and that is bad news for the New Zealand dollar, as China is by far New Zealand’s largest trading partner. If Chinese releases continue to head lower, we can expect the New Zealand dollar to continue losing ground.   NZD/USD Technical NZD/USD has pushed above resistance at 0.5941 and is putting pressure on resistance at 0.5978. There is support at 0.5885 and close by at 0.5848  

  Technical outlook: EUR/USD dropped to the 1.0837 lows on Tuesday, almost taking out its support around 1.0830. The single currency pair is seen to be trading around 1.0860 at this point in writing and is projected to produce a pullback rally towards 1.1000. On the flip side, if prices continue to drop below 1.0830 consistently, the instrument could drag further through 1.0500. EUR/USD is progressing within a corrective phase after having printed a high at about 1.1275. The minimum projection for the correction to complete is around 1.0500 which is the beginning of the triangle consolidation. Also, note that potential remains for a continued drop towards 1.0200, the Fibonacci 0.618 retracement of the entire rally between 0.9535 and 1.1275. EUR/USD has now carved a lower-degree downswing between 1.1275 and 1.0837 as seen on the daily chart here. The minimum retracement is seen through 1.1010 which could extend through the 1.1150 zone as well. Once the expected pullback is complete, we can expect the downswing to resume towards 1.0500 at least.   Trading idea: A potential corrective rally should resume towards 1.1000 soon.

GBP/USD On Tuesday afternoon, the GBP/USD pair reached the MACD indicator line – the 1.2792 target, afterwards it returned to the 1.2720 support. The price has been moving in a sideways trend on this support for five days now. The Marlin oscillator is still strong, and there could be another attempt to overcome the MACD line.     If the price consolidates below 1.2720, the five-day sideways movement will end, revealing the target at 1.2666, followed by 1.2590 (June 29 low). On the four-hour chart, the oscillator's signal line has moved out of its consolidation by moving downwards, establishing itself in the downtrend territory.     The price consolidating below 1.2720 will confirm its intention to fall, with the 1.2666 level as the target. The MACD line acts as an intermediate support around the 1.2687 mark. It coincides with a series of local extremes from early August, so if the pound plans to show a false downward movement, it might stop at the MACD line.    

Canadian retail sales post weak 0.1% gain Markets eye Jackson Hole Symposium as tightening cycles near end The Canadian dollar remains under pressure on Wednesday. In the North American session, USD/CAD is trading at 1.3554, up 0.04%. Earlier, the Canadian dollar fell below the 1.36 line for the first time since May 31st.   Canada’s retail sales stagnant in June Canada’s retail sales for June barely moved, with a gain of just 0.1% m/m. This was unchanged from the May reading, which was downwardly revised from 0.2%, and just above the consensus estimate of zero. On a yearly basis, retail sales slipped 0.8% in June, compared to a gain of 0.2% (revised downwards from 0.5%) and shy of the estimate of 0.3%. The data indicates that consumer consumption is cooling down as higher interest rates continue to filter through the economy. Canada’s GDP in the first quarter was solid at 3.1%, but second-quarter growth is expected to be much more modest, at around 1%. Consumer spending has been a key factor in the Bank of Canada’s rate decisions. Earlier in the year, stronger-than-expected consumer spending resulted in the BoC raising interest rates in June and July. Today’s soft retail sales figures will provide support for the central bank to take a pause at the September 6th meeting, with GDP the final key release ahead of that meeting.   Markets await Jackson Hole There has been a whole lot happening this week and investors will be hoping for some interesting comments from central bankers who are meeting this week in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. Many of the major central banks, including the Federal Reserve, are winding up their rate-tightening cycles and Jackson Hole has often served as a venue for announcing shifts in policy. That said, Fed Chair Powell has insisted that the fight against inflation is not done, although the dark days of high inflation appear to be over. There is talk in the markets of the Fed trimming rates next year, but I doubt that Powell will mention any cuts to rates, when he is yet to acknowledge that the Fed is done tightening.   USD/CAD Technical USD/CAD put strong pressure on the resistance at 1.3606 earlier. Above, there is resistance at 1.3660 1.3522 and 1.3468 are providing support    

UK manufacturing and services PMIs decelerate The British pound has edged lower on Wednesday. In the North American session, GBP/USD is trading at 1.2720, down 0.09%.     UK PMIs head lower The UK economy continues to cool down, and today’s PMI readings showed deceleration in both the manufacturing and services sectors. The Manufacturing PMI eased to 42.5 in August, down from 45.3 and below the consensus estimate of 42.5. The Services PMI disappointed and fell into contraction territory, with a reading of 48.7. This was lower than the July reading of 51.5 and missed the estimate of 50.8. GBP/USD fell over 100 basis points earlier but has recovered these losses. The weak data might not be such bad news as far as the Bank of England is concerned. The battle to curb inflation has not gone all that well, as the UK has the dubious honour of having the highest inflation among G-7 countries. If weakness in the manufacturing and services sectors dampens hiring and weighs on the tight labour markets, inflationary pressures could ease. The Bank of England meets in September and the markets have fully priced in a rate hike, but it’s unclear what will happen after that, with the markets pricing in one more hike before the end of the year. The BoE’s rate path after September will depend heavily on upcoming inflation and employment reports. It has been a light week on the data calendar and investors will be hoping for some interesting comments at the Jackson Hole Symposium which begins on Thursday. The Fed and other major central banks are expected to wind up their rate-tightening cycles and Jackson Hole has often served as a venue for announcing shifts in policy. Fed Chair Powell has insisted that the fight against inflation is not done, with inflation still above the 2% target. There is talk in the markets of the Fed trimming rates next year, but I would be surprised if Powell mentions rate cuts in his speech on Friday.   GBP/USD Technical GBP/USD pushed below support at 1.2714 and 1.2641 before rebounding higher  There is resistance at 1.2812 and 1.2885    

Technical analysis:   Gold has been trading upside this morning but I found test and reject of the important resistance at $1.923, which is good sign for the downside rotation. Due to the market extended condition in last 2 days and test-reject of the important resistance cluster, I see potential for the further downside movement towards lower reference. Downside objective is set at the price of $1.914-$1.910 Stochastic oscillator is showing fresh downside cross and overbought condition, which is another good sign for the further downside movement. Key resistance is set at the price of $1.923  

  The GBP/USD currency pair fell by almost 150 points yesterday following the release of business activity indices in the services and manufacturing sectors of the European Union and the United Kingdom. While only the European indices affected the euro, the pound was influenced by both the European and British indices. This explains the pound's more significant drop, which offset all its losses by the end of the day. Now, if you look closely at the illustration above, you'll see that despite the sharp decline on Wednesday, the pair still sits within the lateral channel of 1.2634–1.2787. Yesterday, it touched the lower boundary of this channel for the third time, predictably rebounding from it, and now it may rise back to the 1.2787 level. Notably, this movement doesn't necessarily require any specific fundamental or macroeconomic background - the pair is in a flat trend, which means the movements are random. Thus, the technical outlook remains unchanged from the previous day despite the high volatility. However, one thing does concern us.   The CCI indicator entered oversold territory yesterday, dropping quite deep. Such signals are typically strong. Although the pair might rise to the mentioned level of 1.2787, it won't remain flat forever, and the chances of a more significant upward movement are slightly higher than yesterday. On the 24-hour time frame, there's no change. The pair still hasn't settled below the Ichimoku cloud, so the upward trend remains intact, and an upward move could resume anytime. As on many previous occasions, the pound may see a minor pullback. Even though we see no reason for the British currency to continue its rise, we must admit that there are still no strong signals indicating a trend change in the long term. The August UK manufacturing business activity index dropped from 45.3 points to 42.5.   The corresponding index for the services sector fell from 51.5 points to 48.7. Consequently, all business activity indices are now below the "waterline" – the 50.0 mark. Hence, we can anticipate further deterioration in other macroeconomic indicators and expect the Bank of England to take a pause. As we've repeatedly stated, the position of the British regulator is unenviable. Inflation remains very high, economic indicators continue to decline, and rates are rising. However, they can't rise indefinitely. The market seems to interpret the macroeconomic backdrop very one-sidedly, seemingly believing in the perpetual tightening of monetary policy in the British Isles. In our opinion, this is a mistake, but as they say, one cannot argue with the market. This week, there are virtually no significant events left. Today, a more or less important report on orders for durable goods in the US will be released, and tomorrow, Jerome Powell will speak. In essence, there's only one question regarding the head of the Federal Reserve, and we won't get an answer.   After inflation in the States accelerated for the first time in 14 months, the rate will be raised in September. However, speaking confidently about it without the August inflation report doesn't make sense.     The average volatility of the GBP/USD pair for the last five trading days is 90 points. For the pound/dollar pair, this value is considered "average." Thus, on Thursday, August 24, we expect movement within the range limited by levels 1.2634 and 1.2814. A reversal of the Heiken Ashi indicator upwards will signal a new upturn in the lateral channel.   Nearest support levels: S1 – 1.2695 S2 – 1.2634 S3 – 1.2604   Nearest resistance levels: R1 – 1.2726 R2 – 1.2756 R3 – 1.2787   Trading recommendations: The GBP/USD pair in the 4-hour timeframe remains above the moving average, but overall the trend is flat. It is possible to trade now on a rebound from the upper (1.2787) or lower (1.2634) boundaries of the lateral channel, but reversals may occur before reaching them. The moving average can be crossed frequently, which doesn't signify a trend change.   Illustrations explanations: Linear regression channels – help determine the current trend. The trend is currently strong if both are pointed in the same direction. Moving average line (settings 20.0, smoothed) – determines the short-term tendency and the direction in which trading should be conducted. Murray levels – target levels for movements and corrections. Volatility levels (red lines) – the likely price channel the pair will spend the next day, based on current volatility indicators. CCI indicator – its entry into the oversold area (below -250) or the overbought area (above +250) means that a trend reversal in the opposite direction is approaching.  

Yesterday, the pair formed several good signals to enter the market. Let's analyze what happened on the 5-minute chart. In my morning review, I mentioned the level of 1.2726 as a possible entry point. A breakout and subsequent retest of this range generated a great sell signal, resulting in a 35-pip drop. A similar scenario with 1.2689, following weak PMI reports, produced a sell signal and the pair fell by 40 pips. During the US session, protecting the monthly low around 1.2627 and weak US reports generated a great buy signal. As a result, the pair rose by 50 pips. Selling from 1.2679 turned out to be a failure, but a breakout and a downward retest of 1.2679 was another buy signal, making it possible to gain 40 more pips.     For long positions on GBP/USD: Today brings some mid-tier data from the Confederation of British Industry, which is unlikely to have a significant impact on market volatility, so I expect the pair to remain under pressure. For this reason, I am not in a hurry to open long positions: only after a false breakout near the new support level at 1.2706, formed at the end of yesterday, will generate buy signal in hopes of updating the nearest resistance at 1.2733, also formed at the end of yesterday's European session. A breakout and consolidation above this range will reinforce the pound sterling, allowing it to reach the 1.2761 high. The ultimate target remains the area of 1.2797 where I will be locking in profits. If GBP/USD declines and there is no buying activity at 1.2706, the pound will be under pressure, but will continue to trade within the sideways channel. In this case, only the defense of the 1.2679 area and its false breakout would give a signal for opening long positions. I will open long positions immediately on a rebound from the monthly low of 1.2646, keeping in mind a daily correction of 30-35 pips.   For short positions on GBP/USD: The sellers lost all their advantage yesterday and now they need to start from scratch. Only an unsuccessful consolidation at 1.2733 after UK data will produce a sell signal with a prospect of falling to the intermediate support level at 1.2706, which was formed yesterday. A breakout of this level and its upward retest would significantly dent the bulls' positions, offering a chance for a more substantial decline towards the low of 1.2679. The ultimate target is the low at 1.2646 where I will be locking in profits. In this case, buyers can try to build the lower band of the new ascending channel. If GBP/USD moves upward during the European session and lacks bearish activity at 1.2733, which is possible given how aggressive the buyers were even after such a large sell-off yesterday, only a false breakout near the next resistance at 1.2761 would provide an entry point for going short. If there is no downward movement there, I would sell the pound right on a rebound from 1.2797, keeping in mind an intraday correction of 30-35 pips.   COT report: The Commitments of Traders (COT) report for August 15 recorded an increase in both long and short positions. Traders built up positions after the UK GDP report, which was better than economists' expectations. US inflation cooling also had an impact on the balance of power, supporting the pound, as well as persistent core pressure in the UK. Federal Reserve officials will hold their annual Jackson Hole symposium later this week, which could lead to even more strengthening of the British Pound in the short term. The focus will be on Fed Chair Jerome Powell's speech about US monetary policy. As before, the optimal strategy is to buy the pound on dips, as the difference in the policies of the central banks will affect the prospects of the US dollar, putting pressure on it. The latest COT report indicates that long positions of the non-commercial group of traders rose by 7,302 to 90,541, while short positions jumped by 3,334 to 39,553. As a result, the spread between long and short positions narrowed by 607. The weekly closing price dropped to 1.2708 compared to the prior value of 1.2749.     Indicator signals: Moving Averages Trading is taking place around the 30-day and 50-day moving averages, indicating a sideways market trend. Please note that the time period and levels of the moving averages are analyzed only for the H1 chart, which differs from the general definition of the classic daily moving averages on the D1 chart. Bollinger Bands If GBP/USD falls, the indicator's lower border near 1.2646 will serve as support.   Description of indicators: • A moving average of a 50-day period determines the current trend by smoothing volatility and noise; marked in yellow on the chart; • A moving average of a 30-day period determines the current trend by smoothing volatility and noise; marked in green on the chart; • MACD Indicator (Moving Average Convergence/Divergence) Fast EMA with a 12-day period; Slow EMA with a 26-day period. SMA with a 9-day period; • Bollinger Bands: 20-day period; • Non-commercial traders are speculators such as individual traders, hedge funds, and large institutions who use the futures market for speculative purposes and meet certain requirements; • Long non-commercial positions represent the total number of long positions opened by non-commercial traders; • Short non-commercial positions represent the total number of short positions opened by non-commercial traders; • The non-commercial net position is the difference between short and long positions of non-commercial traders.    

Bearish elements have emerged at a key inflection/resistance level of 15,415. The leader of the AI boom, Nvidia has shaped a bullish exhaustion where its initial price actions’ exuberance dissipated ex-post Q2 earnings result release. 15,135 key short-term resistance to watch on the Nasdaq 100 to maintain bearish bias.   This is a follow-up analysis of our prior reports, “Nasdaq 100 Technical: Minor countertrend rebound” and “D-day for the US stock market as Nvidia earnings loom” published on 15 August 2023 and 23 August 2023 respectively. Click here and here for a recap. The price actions of the US Nas 100 Index (a proxy for the Nasdaq 100 futures) have indeed shaped the expected minor countertrend rebound sequence from the 18 August 2023 low of 14,553 and rallied by +5.6% to print an intraday high of 15,375 during yesterday’s 24 August European opening hour. The upward spurt seen on Thursday, 24 August at the start of the Asian session has been primarily attributed to a strong upmove of +6% seen in the share price of Nvidia in the after-US hours trading session of Wednesday, 23 August right after the release of its stellar fiscal Q2 earnings result. Interestingly, the exuberance of Nvidia that has triggered an initial positive feedback loop into the benchmark US stock indices dissipated as the US session got underway yesterday. In addition, several key bearish technical elements emerged which suggests that the potential impulsive down moves of the short to medium-term bearish trend of the US Nas 100 Index has resumed.   Daily bearish Marubozu candlestick formed right a key inflection/resistance zone   Fig 1: US Nas 100 medium-term trend as of 25 Aug 2023 (Source: TradingView, click to enlarge chart)     Fig 2: Medium-term trend of Nvidia & SPDR S&P Semiconductor ETF as of 24 Aug 2023 (Source: TradingView, click to enlarge chart) As seen in Figure 1, several bearish elements have been detected on the daily chart of the US Nas 100 Index. Firstly, its price actions have formed a firm bearish tone candlestick pattern called “Marubozu”, a long-body candle where its opening price and closing price were almost the same as its intraday high and intraday low respectively.   Secondly, the emergence of such a key bearish reversal candlestick pattern is being formed right at a key inflection zone where the 50-day moving average and the former swing low of 24 July 2023 confluence at a 15,415 resistance level adds credence to a potential future bearish movement in price actions of the Index. Thirdly, the current conditions of the daily RSI oscillator suggest that medium-term downside momentum remains intact. The price actions of Nvidia as seen in Fig 2 have also depicted similar bearish elements where it ended yesterday’s 24 August US session with a daily bearish “Marubozu” and reintegrated below a key resistance of 474.10 with a high-volume reading. The US Nas 100 slipped back below the 20-day moving average Fig 3: US Nas 100 minor short-term trend as of 25 Aug 2023 (Source: TradingView, click to enlarge chart) The hourly chart of the US Nas 100 has indicated the potential continuation of the impulsive down move of its short-term downtrend phase as the minor countertrend rebound from the 18 August 2023 low is likely to be over. Watch the 15,135 key short-term pivotal resistance (also the 20-day moving average) to maintain the bearish tone and a break below 14,580 exposes the next support at 14,300/250 (Fibonacci extension cluster & and a graphical support, refer to the daily chart in Fig 1). On the other hand, a clearance above 15,135 negates the bearish tone to see a retest on the 15,415/460 medium-term resistance.    

Australia retail sales rebounds with 0.5% gain Fed’s Powell keeps door open to further hikes The Australian dollar started the week with gains but then retreated. In the European session, AUD/USD is trading at 0.6408, up 0.09%. Last week, the Australian dollar showed significant swings of around 1%. Australia’s retail sales surprise on the upside Australian retail sales rebounded in July with a respectable gain of 0.5% m/m.  This followed a dismal -0.8% reading in June and beat the consensus estimate of 0.3%. The welcome uptick was driven by the Women’s World Cup which was held in Australia and was a massive boost for Australia’s travel and retail sectors. Much of the tournament took place in August, which means that the August retail sales report should also receive a shot to the arm. The August report showed that consumers still have an appetite for spending, but there are unmistakable signs that the economy is cooling. Inflation has been falling, wage growth in the second quarter was weaker than expected and unemployment rose to 3.7%. This all points to the Reserve Bank of Australia holding rates at the September 5th meeting, and the future markets have priced a hold at around 90%. The slowdown in China, which is Australia’s largest trading partner, could throw a monkey wrench into the central bank’s efforts to guide the economy to a soft landing. There is a always the concern that aggressive tightening, with the aim of curbing inflation, will choke economic growth and tip the economy into a recession. The Australian dollar is sensitive to Chinese releases and the recent batch of soft Chinese data has weighed on the struggling Australian dollar.   Federal Chair Jerome Powell delivered the keynote speech on Friday, but anyone looking for dramatic headlines walked away disappointed. Powell reiterated that the battle to lower inflation to the 2% target “still has a long way to go”. Powell was somewhat hawkish with regard to interest rates, saying that the Fed would “proceed carefully” with regard to raising rates or putting rates on hold and waiting for additional data. This was a deliberate omission of any mention of rate cuts, a signal that the Fed isn’t even thinking about lowering rates. The future markets responded by raising the odds of a rate hike in September to 21%, up from 14% a week ago.     AUD/USD Technical AUD/USD is testing resistance at 0.6424. Above, there is resistance at 0.6470 There is support at 0.6360 and 0.6317    

Australia retail sales rebounds with 0.5% gain Fed’s Powell keeps door open to further hikes The Australian dollar started the week with gains but then retreated. In the European session, AUD/USD is trading at 0.6408, up 0.09%. Last week, the Australian dollar showed significant swings of around 1%. Australia’s retail sales surprise on the upside Australian retail sales rebounded in July with a respectable gain of 0.5% m/m.  This followed a dismal -0.8% reading in June and beat the consensus estimate of 0.3%. The welcome uptick was driven by the Women’s World Cup which was held in Australia and was a massive boost for Australia’s travel and retail sectors. Much of the tournament took place in August, which means that the August retail sales report should also receive a shot to the arm. The August report showed that consumers still have an appetite for spending, but there are unmistakable signs that the economy is cooling. Inflation has been falling, wage growth in the second quarter was weaker than expected and unemployment rose to 3.7%. This all points to the Reserve Bank of Australia holding rates at the September 5th meeting, and the future markets have priced a hold at around 90%. The slowdown in China, which is Australia’s largest trading partner, could throw a monkey wrench into the central bank’s efforts to guide the economy to a soft landing. There is a always the concern that aggressive tightening, with the aim of curbing inflation, will choke economic growth and tip the economy into a recession. The Australian dollar is sensitive to Chinese releases and the recent batch of soft Chinese data has weighed on the struggling Australian dollar.   Federal Chair Jerome Powell delivered the keynote speech on Friday, but anyone looking for dramatic headlines walked away disappointed. Powell reiterated that the battle to lower inflation to the 2% target “still has a long way to go”. Powell was somewhat hawkish with regard to interest rates, saying that the Fed would “proceed carefully” with regard to raising rates or putting rates on hold and waiting for additional data. This was a deliberate omission of any mention of rate cuts, a signal that the Fed isn’t even thinking about lowering rates. The future markets responded by raising the odds of a rate hike in September to 21%, up from 14% a week ago.     AUD/USD Technical AUD/USD is testing resistance at 0.6424. Above, there is resistance at 0.6470 There is support at 0.6360 and 0.6317    

The recent three weeks of -13.90% decline has reached a key medium-term support level of 17,530. The latest reading of its daily MACD trend indicator has indicated a possible pause in the medium-term downtrend movement. Key short-term support to watch will be at 17,970 with intermediate resistances at 18,600 and 18,910.   The Hang Seng Index is set to record its worst monthly performance since October 2022 as it recorded a month-to-date loss of -9.70% as of yesterday, 28 August 2023, on the track to be one of the worst-performing major benchmark stock indices in August. The current medium-term bearish onslaught has been primarily attributed to a heightened deflationary risk spiral in China and contagion risk from indebted property developers coupled with a lack of material stimulus measures to negate these negative repercussions. In the lens of technical analysis, price actions of liquid tradable financial assets do not move in a vertical movement where there are certain periods of time, consolidation or countertrend movements can occur within a longer period of trending phases as market participants infer and digest new information. Interestingly, the current price actions of the Hong Kong 33 Index (a proxy of the Hang  Seng Index futures) are suggesting a potential countertrend movement may be taking shape within a medium-term downtrend phase that is still intact since the 27 January 2023 high of 22,688.     Price actions tested key medium-term support with positive elements   Fig 1: Hong Kong 33 medium-term trend as of 29 Aug 2023 (Source: TradingView, click to enlarge chart) The recent three weeks of -13.90% decline seen in the Hong Kong 33 Index from its 31 July high of 20,381 has managed to stall and rebounded from a key medium-term support of 17,530 that is being confluence by several different elements; the 28 November 2022 swing low, lower boundary of the “Expanding Wedge” configuration, 76.4% Fibonacci retracement of the prior medium-term up move from 31 October 2022 to 27 January 2023 high.   In addition, the daily MACD trend indicator has managed to stall at parallel horizontal support (bullish divergence) while price actions traced out “lower lows” over a similar period. These observations suggest a possible slowdown in medium-term downside momentum which in turn increases the odds of a countertrend rebound scenario.     Watch the 17,970 key short-term support     Fig 2: Hong Kong 33 minor short-term trend as of 29 Aug 2023 (Source: TradingView, click to enlarge chart) The Index has staged a minor rebound of +5.65% from its 21 August 2023 low to print an intraday high of 18,539 yesterday, 28 August on the backdrop of a positive new measure to boost short-term investors’ sentiment in the China stock market where policymakers enacted a 50% reduction to stock trading levy, its first cut since 2008 Great Financial Crisis. If the 17,970 short-term pivotal support manages to hold ground, the Index may see a further bounce within its ongoing minor countertrend rebound phase towards the next intermediate resistances at 18,600 and 18,910 (also the 50-day moving average). On the flip side, a break below 17,970 invalidates the countertrend rebound scenario to expose the next immediate support at 17,570/17,370.    

The Japanese yen is trading quietly at the start of the week. In the North American session, USD/JPY is trading at 146.60, up 0.11%. The yen has plunged 3.05% in August against the US dollar and is trading at its lowest levels since November 2022.   Powell, Ueda speak at Jackson Hole  There was a degree of anticipation as major central bankers gathered at the Jackson Hole summit. The meeting has been used as a launch-pad for shifts in policy, but one would be hard-pressed to point to any dramatic news from the summit. Bank of Governor Kazuo Ueda stayed true to his script that underlying inflation remains lower than the BoJ’s target of 2% and as a result, the BoJ will stick with the current ultra-easy policy. Ueda has followed his predecessor Haruhiko Kuroda and insisted that he will not lift interest rates until there is evidence that domestic demand and stronger wage growth replace cost-push factors and keep inflation sustainably around the 2% target. Ueda continues to argue that inflation is below target and that he expects inflation to fall, but core inflation indicators continue to point to broad-based inflationary pressures and have remained above the 2% target for around 15 months. Still, the BoJ is sticking to its loose policy and trying to dampen speculation that it will tighten policy. The BoJ tweaked its yield curve control policy in July but at the time, Ueda insisted that the move was not a step towards normalization of policy. Federal Chair Jerome Powell delivered the keynote speech on Friday, but anyone looking for dramatic headlines walked away disappointed. Powell reiterated that the battle to lower inflation to the 2% target “still has a long way to go”. Powell was somewhat hawkish with regard to interest rates, saying that the Fed would “proceed carefully” with regard to raising rates or putting rates on hold and waiting for additional data. There was no mention of rate cuts, a signal that the Fed isn’t looking to trim rates anytime soon. The future markets responded by raising the odds of a rate hike in September to 21%, up from 14% a week ago.   USD/JPY Technical There is resistance at 147.19 and 147.95 145.86 and 145.10 are providing support    

The pound traded higher on Monday. And even though the growth was hardly impressive, it was still tangible. This is in the absence of influential economic releases and generally impersonal results from the Jackson Hole symposium. In general, all this growth can be seen as a blatant rebound after the pair sharply fell at the beginning of the previous week. Speaking of today, the only thing worth paying attention to is the number of job openings in the United States, which is expected to fall by 12,000.   There are two possible explanations for this figure. Firstly, there are no more available workers in the job market, and employers can't find new employees required for business expansion and development. The second explanation is that businesses are swiftly creating enough new jobs to meet the labor market's needs. As we can see, both explanations are diametrically opposed to each other. Therefore, we shouldn't expect this report to have an impact on the market. In general, this report typically goes unnoticed. So, the market situation will generally remain unchanged.     During a technical pullback, the GBP/USD pair returned to the lower band of the 1.2650/1.2800 sideways channel. Afterwards, it traded near the base of the bearish cycle. On the four-hour chart, the RSI is moving in the lower area of the indicator, thus reflecting bearish sentiment among traders. On the same time frame, the Alligator's MAs are headed downwards, which is consistent with the current movement. The MAs are not intertwined. Outlook Falling below the 1.2650 level may favorably impact the volume of short positions. However, a downtrend will only start once the price stays below the 1.2550 mark. The bullish scenario will come into play if the price holds firm above the 1.2650 level. In this case, the pair will move sideways again. The complex indicator analysis points to a pullback in the short-term and intraday periods.

GBP/USD On Monday, the British pound gained 21 pips. This morning, the pound's gains in the first hours of the Asian session alone amounted to the same amount. The price convergence with the Marlin oscillator on the daily chart has finally formed, the pound is aiming for the first target at 1.2684.         Consolidating above this level will open the target range of 1.2799-1.2814 (the peak of August 10th). The MACD line is in this range. On the four-hour chart, the Marlin oscillator is eager to leave the downtrend territory. The price is advancing towards 1.2684. The MACD line is slightly below this level, but is already starting to turn upwards. And when the price goes above the level, this will mean surpassing the MACD line, creating favorable conditions for further growth.       This evening, the US Consumer Confidence Index for August from the Conference Board is expected to fall from 117.0 to 116.0. This provides an external premise for the pound to rise.  

Euro slips below 1.08 but recovers German GfK consumer climate falls US consumer confidence and job openings decelerate The euro fell below the 1.08 line on Tuesday after a weak German consumer confidence report but has recovered in the North American session after soft US data. EUR/USD is currently trading at 1.0840, up 0.20%. Germany is the eurozone’s largest economy and is considered the powerhouse of the bloc. That has changed dramatically as the German economy is looking more like a dead weight than a locomotive. With the economy sputtering, it’s no surprise that German business and consumer confidence is in the doldrums. Germany’s GfK Consumer Climate is forecasting a reading of  -25.5 for September, down from the revised downward figure of -24.6 in August and below the consensus estimate of -24.3. This was the lowest reading since May, with consumers pointing to high inflation and concern about potential unemployment as key reasons for concern. Last week, German Ifo Business Climate fell in August for a fourth straight month to 85.7, down from an upwardly revised 87.4 and shy of the market consensus of 86.7 points.   German CPI expected to fall to 6.0% Germany will release the July inflation report on Wednesday. Inflation is currently at 6.2% and is expected to dip to 6.0%, considerably higher than eurozone inflation which is at 5.3%. The ECB is committed to bringing inflation back to the 2% target but it’s unclear if the central bank will raise rates for an eighth straight time or take a pause and monitor how the economy is performing. The benchmark rate is relatively low at 3.75%, but the eurozone and German economies aren’t in the best shape and higher interest rates would raise the likelihood of a recession. In the US, it was a bad day at the office.  The Conference Board Consumer Confidence Index fell sharply to 106.1 in July, compared to 116.0 in August. JOLTS Jobs Openings slowed to 8.82 million in July, down from 9.16 million in June and well off the estimate of 9.46 million. The data is further evidence that the US economy is slowing as high rates continue to filter through the economy.   EUR/USD Technical EUR/USD is testing support at 1.0830. The next support line is 1.0731 There is resistance at 1.0896 and 1.0996    

Germany to release CPI on Wednesday, Eurozone on Thursday US consumer confidence and jobs data disappoint   The euro’s mini-rally has run out of steam. EUR/USD climbed 0.80% over the past two days but is trading in negative territory on Wednesday. In the European session, the euro is trading at 1.0867, down 0.11%. The markets will be keeping a close eye on European inflation releases today and Thursday. Germany releases the July CPI report later today, with a consensus estimate of 6.0%, compared to 6.2% in July. The once-formidable German juggernaut is in trouble and inflation remains high. The eurozone releases July CPI on Thursday, which is expected to drop from 5.3% to 5.1%. The ECB meets next on September 14th and ECB President Lagarde may have signalled that another rate hike is coming. Lagarde attended the Jackson Hole summit last week and said that interest rates would remain high “as long as necessary” in order to bring inflation back to the ECB’s 2% target. Lagarde’s hawkish remarks were more hawkish than her comments at the July meeting, where she said that ECB policy makers had an “open mind” about the September decision.   There’s no arguing that eurozone inflation remains too high, but the argument against raising rates even higher is that the eurozone economy is not in great shape, and nine straight rate hikes from the ECB have cooled economic growth. Further hikes could tip the economy into a recession, which means that the ECB has its work cut out in deciding whether to raise rates again or take a pause in September. The Federal Reserve is widely expected to hold rates at next week’s meeting, and disappointing data on Tuesday may have cemented a pause. The Conference Board Consumer Confidence Index fell sharply to 106.1 in July, compared to 116.0 in August, marking a two-year low. As well, JOLTS Job Openings slowed to 8.82 million in July, down from 9.16 million in June and well off the estimate of 9.46 million. This was the sixth decline in the past seven months, a sign that the resilient US labour market is showing cracks.   EUR/USD Technical EUR/USD is putting strong pressure on resistance at 1.0896. The next resistance line is 1.0996 1.0831 and 1.0731 are providing support    

New Zealand business confidence rises ADP Employment Change falls to 177,000 The New Zealand dollar is almost flat on Thursday, trading at 0.5958 in Europe.   New Zealand Business Confidence improves again New Zealand’s ANZ Business Confidence index accelerated for a fourth straight month in August. The index improved to -3.7, up from -13.1 in July. Business Confidence has been in negative territory for 26 consecutive months, but the August print was the highest since June 2021. The consensus estimate stood at -1.9 and the New Zealand dollar didn’t react. If the upswing continues, we should see a positive reading in the next month or two, which would be a milestone and likely give a boost to the New Zealand dollar. The business confidence report noted that inflation expectations dipped very slightly, from 5.14% to 5.06%. This is clearly incompatible with a 2% inflation target but the key question is whether the Reserve Bank of New Zealand will pause for a third straight time in October, in the hope that the benchmark rate of 5.50% will further cool the economy and push inflation lower. The RBNZ doesn’t meet until October 4th, with only one tier-1 event prior to the meeting, which is GDP on September 20th. The central bank will also be keeping a close eye on events in China, where the economy has been deteriorating. On Thursday, China’s Manufacturing PMI rose in July to 49.7, up from 49.3 in June, but this marked a fifth straight contraction.   In the US, the markets await the non-farm payrolls release on Friday. The ADP employment report fell sharply to 177,000, down from an upwardly revised 371,000 and shy of the estimate of 195,000. The ADP release isn’t a reliable precursor to nonfarm payrolls but still attracts attention as investors hunt for clues ahead of the nonfarm payrolls release. The markets are expecting nonfarm payrolls to fall to 170,000 in August, compared to 187,000 in July. . NZD/USD Technical There is support at 0.5927 and 0.5866 0.5968 is a weak resistance line. Above, there is resistance at 0.6029        

Flash HICP in August 5.3% (5.1% expected, 5.3% in July) Flash core HICP in August 5.3% (5.3% expected, 5.5% in July) Key moving average provides resistance once again   Eurozone economic indicators this morning have been something of a mixed bag, although traders seem enthused on the back of them rather than disappointed. We’ve seen regional data over the last couple of days which gave us some indication of how today’s HICP report would look and a drop in the core reading in line with expectations combined with no decrease in the headline seemed to make sense. Unemployment, meanwhile, remained at a record low despite an increase in the number of those unemployed. Perhaps there’s some relief that the headline HICP rate didn’t tick a little higher while the core did decline which combined with expectations for the coming months gives the ECB plenty to debate. Another hike in September still strikes me as more likely than not but on the back of this release, markets are swinging the other way, pricing in a near 70% chance of no increase.   ECB Probability   That’s helped the euro to slide more than 0.5% against the dollar this morning – similar against the yen and a little less against the pound while regional markets are seemingly unmoved and continue to trade relatively flat.   Further bearish technical signals following the eurozone data While the fall against the pound was a little less significant, it has enabled it to once again rotate lower off the 55/89-day simple moving average band, reinforcing the bearish narrative in the pair. EURGBP Daily   Source – OANDA on Trading View It’s run into resistance on a number of occasions around the upper end of this band, with the 100 DMA (blue) arguably being a more accurate resistance zone over the summer. Regardless, that still leaves a picture of lower peaks and relatively steady support around 0.85. While that may simply be consolidation, the lower peaks arguably give it a slight bearish bias, a significant break of 0.85 obviously being needed to confirm that.    

Swiss retail sales decline by 2.3% Swiss inflation expected to dip to 1.5% US unemployment claims drop to 228,000 US PCE Price Index rises by 3.3%     The Swiss franc has lost ground on Thursday. In the North American session, USD/CHF is trading at 0.8835, up 0.59%. Thursday’s Swiss retail sales for July looked awful, falling 2.3% m/m. This follows a revised gain of 1.5% in June. Market attention has now shifted to Swiss inflation, which will be released on Friday. Swiss inflation dropped to 1.6% in July, the lowest level since July 2022. The downtrend is expected to continue in August with a consensus estimate of 1.5%. Policy makers at the Swiss National Bank have to be pleased with the inflation rate. Switzerland boasts the lowest inflation rate in the developed world and both headline and core inflation are comfortably nestled in the central bank’s inflation target range of 0%-2%. Still, the SNB remains wary about inflation, with concerns that increases in rents and electricity prices could push inflation back up to 2%. Food inflation remains high and rose from 5.1% to 5.3% in July. Unlike other major central banks, the SNB meets quarterly, which magnifies the significance of each rate decision. At the June meeting, the central bank raised rates to 1.75% from 1.50% and hinted that further hikes were coming. The SNB has projected inflation will hit 2.2% in 2023 and 2024, above its target. That means the SNB expects to have to continue raising rates, although, as is the case with many other central banks, the peak rate appears to be close at hand. In the US, unemployment claims dropped to 228,000 last week, down from a revised 232,000 and below the estimate of 236,000. All eyes will be on Friday’s job report, with nonfarm payrolls expected to dip to 170,000, down from 187,000.   The Fed’s favourite inflation gauge, the PCE Price Index, increased in July by 0.2% for a second straight month, lower than the estimate of 0.3%. On an annualized basis, the PCE Price Index climbed 3.3% in July, up from 3.0% in June. Service prices rose by 0.4% in July, up from 0.3% from the previous month. The numbers indicate that the Fed’s battle with inflation is far from over, and the final phase of pushing inflation down to 2% may prove the most difficult. . USD/CHF Technical USD/CHF is testing resistance at 0.8827. Above, there is resistance at 0.8895 0.8779 and 0.8711 are providing support

The euro is lower on Thursday, after a 3-day rally which pushed the currency 1% higher. In the European session, EUR/USD is trading at 1.0861, down 0.57%.   Eurozone CPI steady, core CPI falls Eurozone inflation was a mixed bag in August. Headline inflation was unchanged at 5.3%, missing the consensus estimate of a drop to 5.1%. There was better news from Core CPI, which dropped from 5.5% to 5.3%, matching the estimate. The ECB will be pleased with the decline in core inflation, which excludes food and energy and provides a more accurate estimate of underlying press pressures. Many central banks, including the Federal Reserve, have taken pauses in the current rate-tightening cycle, but the ECB has raised rates 13 straight times. Will we see a pause at the September 14th meeting? The answer is far from clear. Inflation remains above 5%, more than twice the ECB’s target of 2%. The central bank is determined to bring inflation back down to target, but that would require further rate hikes and the weak eurozone economy could fall into a recession as a result. ECB member Robert Holzmann said today’s inflation report indicated that inflation remained persistent and admitted that the latest inflation numbers pose a “conundrum” for the ECB. The markets aren’t clear on what to expect from the ECB, with the odds of a pause at 67% and a 25-basis point hike at 33%. ECB President Lagarde hasn’t provided much guidance, perhaps because she’s as uncertain as everybody else about the September rate decision.   Germany’s numbers continue to point downwards, as the eurozone’s locomotive has become an economic burden. The latest release, July retail sales, declined by 2.2% y/y, sharply lower than the revised -0.9% reading in June and below the consensus estimate of -1.2%. . EUR/USD Technical EUR/USD is testing support at 1.0831. Below, there is support at 1.0780 1.0896 and 1.0996 are the next resistance lines

Bullish acceleration within long-term secular uptrend to print a fresh all-time high of 166.60 yesterday, 30 August. Current minor pull-back of 102 pips from 166.60 all-time high has almost reached a short-term oversold condition as indicated by the hourly RSI. Key short-term support rests at 165.10. The cross-pair CHF/JPY has continued its impulsive up-move sequence in the month of August where it rallied by +291 pips as of 31 August 2023 at this time of the writing, capping off a relentless bullish acceleration seen in the past six months with an accumulated gain of +2,378 pips since January 2023 reinforced by a clear bullish breakout from the longer-term secular ascending channel resistance (upper boundary) in the month of April 2023. It has already surpassed the prior major secular peak of 158.45 printed in October 1979 and hit a fresh all-time intraday high of 166.60 yesterday, 30 August.   Bullish acceleration of long-term secular uptrend phase   Fig 1:  CHF/JPY long-term term secular trend as of 31 Aug 2023 (Source: TradingView, click to enlarge chart)   Hourly RSI oscillator has almost reached oversold condition Fig 2:  CHF/JPY minor short-term trend as of 31 Aug 2023 (Source: TradingView, click to enlarge chart)

NFP 187,000 in August (169,000 expected, 157,000 previously) Average hourly earnings 0.2% (MoM), 4.3% (YoY)  EURUSD slips after making earlier gains   If you’re a Federal Reserve official, you’ll find it hard not to be very pleased with the way this week’s gone from a labor market data perspective. The JOLTS release at the start of the week was extremely encouraging as it continued a clear trend that brought the number of vacancies back to levels not seen in two years and not far from the pre-pandemic norm. Even without today’s report, that will have come as a huge relief for the Fed. When you consider today’s report on top of that, the week couldn’t have gone much better. The headline NFP may have been a little stronger than expected but it’s still below 200,000 and the beat was more than offset by last month’s revision. Then there’s average hourly earnings which fell back to 0.2%, a level far more consistent with the Fed’s goal if it can be repeated and again, below market expectations. The cherry on the cake is the participation beat and jump in unemployment, both of which point to more slack appearing in the labor market. To be clear, the Fed won’t get carried away with today’s report. It’s just one that needs to be repeated on a number of occasions but there’s plenty of cause for optimism in there. If there was any doubt that the Fed will pause in September, today’s report surely puts an end to that debate.   USD rallies after initially falling The initial move in the dollar made a lot of sense, it fell after the release as it was viewed as being beneficial for interest rates (less chance of a hike, earlier cut next year), but it didn’t take long to reverse course.   EURUSD Daily     The catalyst for that is irrelevant but from a technical perspective, it doesn’t look great for the pair. Rather than looking to test this week’s highs, it’s slipping back toward the lows and near the 200/233-day simple moving average band. A move below last Friday’s lows could be viewed as a very bearish move, particularly in light of today’s report.

Erased prior two weeks of consecutive losing streaks to trade a current year-to-date closing high of US$86.31 per barrel printed on last Friday, 1 September. Price actions are oscillating within short-term and medium-term uptrend phases. Hourly technical indicators (RSI & Bollinger Bands Bandwidth) are suggesting the risk of an imminent minor pull-back in price actions after last week’s strong upside reversal. Watch the key short-term pivotal resistance at US$87.25 per barrel. This is a follow-up analysis of our prior report, “WTI Oil Technical: Potential bullish reversal to resume medium-term uptrend” published on 21 August 2023. Click here for a recap. The price actions of West Texas Oil (a proxy of WTI crude oil futures) have managed to snap its prior two weeks of consecutive losing streak and cleared above the US$84.90 resistance as highlighted in our previous report. Also, it recorded a weekly gain of +7.35% for the week ended last Friday, 1 September.     Rallied to a 10-month high Fig 1:  West Texas Oil medium-term trend as of 4 Sep 2023 (Source: TradingView, click to enlarge chart) In addition, last Friday’s bullish momentum has allowed it to surpass its recent medium-term swing high of US$84.92 per barrel printed on 10 August 2023 and notched a current year-to-date closing high of US$86.31 on last Friday, also its highest level since 15 November 2022. In addition, current price actions have managed to trade above their respective 20, 50, and 200-day moving averages which indicates that West Texas Oil is oscillating within short-term and medium-term uptrend phases. Risk of an imminent minor pull-back in price actions Fig 2:  West Texas Oil minor short-term trend as of 4 Sep 2023 (Source: TradingView, click to enlarge chart)       However, the current up move of +10.7% from its 23 August 2023 low of US$78.03 to its 1 September 2023 high of US$86.36 seems overstretched which suggests that the current short-term uptrend phase is due for a potential minor pull-back/setback. Two key technical conditions are advocating this potential minor pull-back/setback scenario for West Texas Oil within its ongoing short to medium-term uptrend phases. Firstly, the hourly RSI oscillator has exploded to an extreme overbought condition of 84.53, its highest level since 2 April 2023. Secondly, the hourly Bollinger Bands Bandwidth (%) has increased to a two-week high which indicates a significant expansion in short-term volatility. An expansion in short-term volatility as indicated by the widening of the hourly Bollinger Bands Bandwidth (%) tends to lead to a normalization of such a heightened level of volatility in the next few trading sessions which supports an imminent potential minor pull-back/setback for price actions. Watch the US$87.25 key short-term pivotal resistance to maintain the potential minor pull-back/setback scenario for West Texas Oil towards the intermediate supports at US$84.90 and US$83.60. However, a clearance above US$87.25 invalidates the minor bearish tone for a continuation of the bullish impulsive up move sequence to see the next resistance at US$89.10 (Fibonacci retracement/extension cluster; 38.2% Fibonacci retracement of the major downtrend from 7 March 2022 high to 4 May 2023 low & 0.618 Fibonacci extension of the medium-term uptrend from 28 June 2023 low to 10 August 2023 high projected to 23 August 2023 low). Content

RBA expected to pause US nonfarm payrolls rise slightly to 187,000 The Australian dollar has started the week with slight gains. In Monday’s European session, AUD/USD is trading at 0.6464, up 0.21%.   RBA expected to pause The Reserve Bank of Australia is expected to hold interest rates at 4.10% when it meets on Tuesday and a rate hike would be a huge surprise. The central bank has paused for two straight meetings and the odds of a third pause stand at 86%, according to the ASX RBA rate tracker. The most important factor in RBA rate policy is of course inflation. In July, CPI fell to 4.9% y/y, down from 5.4% y/y and better than the consensus of 5.2% y/y. Inflation is moving in the right direction and has dropped to its lowest level since February 2022. A third straight pause from the RBA will likely raise expectations that the current rate-tightening cycle is done but I don’t believe we’re at that point just yet. This is Governor Lowe’s final meeting and he is expected to keep the door open to further rate hikes. Incoming Governor Bullock stated last week that the RBA “may still need to raise rates again”, adding that the Bank will make its rate decisions based on the data. The RBA isn’t anywhere near declaring victory over inflation and has projected that inflation will not fall back within the 2%-3% inflation target until late 2025.   The week wrapped up with the US employment report for August. The Fed will be pleased as nonfarm payrolls remained below 200,00 for a third straight month, rising from a revised 157,000 to 187,000. Wage growth fell to 0.2% in August, down from 0.4% in July and below the consensus of 0.3%. The data cements a rate hold at the September 20th meeting, barring a huge surprise from the CPI report a week prior to the rate meeting. . AUD/USD Technical AUD/USD is testing resistance at 0.6458. Above, there is resistance at 0.6516 There is support at 0.6395 and 0.6337    

FX Daily: Economic resilience keeps dollar ‘expensive’ Our short-term fair value model indicates the dollar is overvalued against all G10 currencies, but recent price action suggests it will take some poor US activity data to prompt a USD correction. That may not happen this week, as developed market calendars are quite dry. Elsewhere, the Reserve Bank of Australia paused, but the AUD demise looks overdone.   USD: Comfortably overvalued With US trading halted yesterday for the Labour Day holiday, global FX markets started the week on a very quiet tone after Friday’s big swings. In short periods like this one where attention temporarily shifts away from the US, developments in China emerge as the main driver for global sentiment. Yesterday, hopes of fiscal stimulus triggered a rebound in Chinese property stocks, but a below-consensus read in the Caixin Services PMI overnight generated fresh pressure on Asian equities. While the equity compartment appears to respond more symmetrically to good and bad news coming from China, the currency market remains more responsive to negative developments, as the ongoing period of dollar strength contributes to limit gains for most Asian EMFX. More specifically, the renminbi still faces pressure from easing monetary policy in China, to which the People's Bank of China (PBoC) has recently paired a cut to the FX reserve ratio requirement to try and insulate the currency-depreciation effects. This morning, we are seeing USD/CNY trading higher after the poor PMIs and re-testing the 7.30 area, which has been the line in the sand for the PBoC. On the US front, we discussed in yesterday’s FX Daily how this week’s data calendar looked unlikely to radically alter the narrative of US economic resilience, which has been the foundation of recent dollar strength. Today’s calendar is quite light, only including July’s factory orders. From a technical point of view, we must note that the dollar’s outperformance in August was not entirely justified by market drivers (i.e. relative rates, equity, and commodity dynamics). Our short-term fair value model shows some dollar short-term overvaluation against all G10 currencies, ranging from quite moderate for GBP (less than 1%) to quite stretched for Scandies (above 3%). Still, one characteristic of the recent dollar price action is that it has taken poor US data to initiate any substantial correction, and we suspect a deterioration in the economic outlook remains the only real path for the mis-valuation gap to be closed. What this gap is telling us now is that the dollar correction, once the US data turn, can be quite rapid and substantial.    Francesco Pesole

Canada’s GDP contracts in second quarter US nonfarm payrolls, wages point to weak US labour market The Canadian dollar is unchanged early in Monday’s North American session, trading at 1.3594. Canada’s GDP unexpectedly soft in Q2 The Canadian dollar posted gains throughout last week but surrendered all of those gains on Friday after second-quarter GDP was softer than expected. Canada’s economy contracted in the second quarter by 0.2% y/y, much weaker than the consensus of a 1.2% gain. The Bank of Canada was also taken by surprise, as it had projected a gain of 1.5%. The economy has slowed sharply since the first quarter, which showed GDP at a revised gain of 2.6%. The BoC’s rate hikes continue to filter throughout the economy, which may be in a slight recession, as June GDP contracted by 0.2% and July is expected around zero. The GDP report was the last major domestic release before the BoC meeting on Wednesday. The soft data has cemented a pause from the BoC, after two consecutive meetings in which the BoC raised rates by a quarter-point but said that the decisions were a close call between a hike and a hold. The BoC odds for a hold have jumped to 97%, up from 78% prior to the GDP release. With a pause a virtual certainty, investors’ focus will be on the rate statement. Goldman Sachs is projecting a pause and one final rate hike in October.     In the US, the August employment report pointed to a cooling labour market. Nonfarm payrolls came in at 187,000, the third straight release below 200,00. Wage growth fell to 0.2% in August, down from 0.4% in July and below the consensus of 0.3%. The weak jobs report raised the odds of a Fed hold at the September meeting to 93% according to the FedWatch tool, up sharply from 78% just a week ago. . USD/CAD Technical USD/CAD is putting pressure on support at 1.3573. Below, there is support at 1.3509 1.3657 and 1.3721 are the next resistance lines  

Brent rally cools after another strong week Tight market continues to support price No sign of technical divergence near $90 in Brent Oil prices are a little flat today after rallying another 5% last week. Brent hit a new high for 2023 in the process and, despite paring earlier gains today, there still appears to be plenty of momentum in the rally. That there is still plenty of momentum so close to $90 a barrel may suggest we could see a strong push to break above which would represent a big shift in the market dynamic in quite a short period of time. Saudi Arabia and Russia have been managing additional voluntary cuts on a monthly basis and could withdraw them at any point but I can’t imagine they’ll be in any rush and risk sending the price tumbling again.   Can Brent break $90? From a technical perspective, the most striking thing is the MACD and stochastic, both of which are continuing to trend higher alongside price.   Source – OANDA on Trading View When approaching areas of resistance, divergences between price and these momentum indicators can indicate the trend is weakening but so far that isn’t clear. Even on a lower timeframe chart, like the 4-hour, the last rally was matched with higher highs. So despite trading at the highest level this year and near $90, there is still plenty of momentum that could aid a powerful push against this resistance zone.   BCOUSD 4-Hour    

In the past three weeks, AUD/USD has been trading within a minor range configuration between 0.6510 and 0.6385. Price actions have been dictated primarily from external factors especially economic news flow out from China. Consensus is expecting another third consecutive month of no change in the policy cash rate at 4.1% in today’s RBA monetary policy decision. The medium-term trend of AUD/USD remains bearish below its 50-day moving average now acting as a resistance at 0.6600 and 0.6510 remains the key short-term resistance to watch. This is a follow-up analysis of our prior report, “Potential minor countertrend rebound in progress” published on 28 August 2023. Click here for a recap. Since its minor range swing low of 0.6338 printed on 17 August 2023, the price actions of AUD/USD have been primarily driven by external factors; especially economic news flow out from China as Australia’s commodities producers/trading firms are dependent on either direct or indirectly on the fortunes of the currently cash-stripped Chinese property developers. In the past week, the AUD/USD has rallied as expected and hit the 0.6510 countertrend rebound resistance, it printed an intraday high of 0.6522 last Wednesday, 30 August before upside momentum fizzled out to trade back down within its minor range configuration in place since 17 August 2023. In the past two trading sessions, the price actions of AUD/USD have been whipsawed around its downward-slopping 20-day moving average as we await the outcome of the key RBA monetary policy decision out later today at 0430 GMT. Today’s RBA monetary policy meeting will be the last one chaired by the current Governor Phillip Lowe before he hands over the reins to Michele Bullock, an RBA “lifer” since 1985. In the run-up to today’s meeting, the consensus is expecting another third consecutive month of no change in the policy cash rate at 4.1% as the recently released monthly CPI indicator for July has slowed to 4.9% y/y from 5.4% y/y in June, its slowest pace of increase since February 2022 and below consensus of 5.2% y/y. Interestingly, the ASX 30-day interbank cash rate futures on the September 2023 contract have indicated a 14% chance of a 25-basis point cut on the cash rate to 3.85% for today’s RBA meeting based on data as of 4 September 2023. That’s a slight increase in odds from a 12% chance of a 25-bps rate cut inferred a week ago. Let’s now examine the AUD/USD from the lens of technical analysis. Medium-term momentum remains bearish   Fig 1:  AUD/USD medium-term trend as of 5 Sep 2023 (Source: TradingView, click to enlarge chart) Since the bearish breakdown of the AUD/USD below its former medium-term ascending trendline support from the 13 Oct 2022 swing low on 11 August 2023, its price actions have continued to thread lower below its downward-sloping 50-day moving average now acting as a key medium-term resistance at 0.6600 which also confluences with the former swing low of 29 June/6 July 2023 where the bulls got rejected on 4 August and 10 August 2023 after attempts to break above it. Also, the daily RSI indicator, a measurement of momentum has managed to stage a retreat right after a retest on former parallel ascending support now turns pull-back resistance right below the 50 level in the past week which indicates the revival of medium-term bearish momentum that advocates further potential downside pressure in the price actions of AUD/USD going forward. 0.6510 is the key short-term resistance to watch on the AUD/USD   Fig 2:  AUD/USD minor short-term trend as of 5 Sep 2023 (Source: TradingView, click to enlarge chart) If the 0.6510 key short-term pivotal resistance is not surpassed to the upside and a breakdown below the intermediate minor support of 0.6440, the AUD/USD may see a further slide to retest the minor range support of 0.6385. Thereafter, a break with a daily close below 0.6385 may kickstart another leg of a potential impulsive down move sequence within its medium-term downtrend phase to expose the next support at 0.6310 in the first step. On the flip side, a clearance above 0.6510 negates the bearish tone for a squeeze-up to see the 0.6600 medium-term resistance next.    

RBA leaves the cash rate at 4.1% but signals more tightening may be needed China Caixin services PMI unexpectedly falls to 51.8 AUDUSD tumbles again to test recent support   The Australian dollar fell further this morning despite the RBA holding interest rates steady and warning that further tightening may be necessary. The central bank warned that while inflation is declining, a strong labor market and economy remain a risk. What’s more, persistent services price inflation which is being seen in other countries could be another potential upside risk in Australia in the future. Markets aren’t buying the hawkish warning though and continue to price in a 70% chance of no further increases from the RBA, with cuts then likely to start late next year. This will almost certainly change repeatedly over the months ahead but as things stand, clear progress is being made on inflation and the central bank has no desire to needlessly crash the economy.   AUDUSD tumbles after Chinese data and RBA decision The Aussie dollar continued to decline despite this, probably driven initially by the weaker Chinese Caixin services PMI reading but the technicals weren’t looking too good either.   AUDUSD Daily Source – OANDA on Trading View   In fact, they haven’t for a number of weeks, since the pair broke below the neckline of a double top pattern. In this case, the top fell around 0.69 and the neckline around 0.66. The first thing worth mentioning is this isn’t a perfect double top as it doesn’t follow a prolonged move higher in the pair. That said, it has trended lower since and the move below the neckline isn’t far from the size of the pattern itself, as the textbooks indicate can happen. More recently, the pair has traded between much tighter support and resistance – 0.6370 and 0.6520, respectively – and that still broadly remains the case, although today’s trading has been rather bearish and that support is being significantly tested.  

USD/JPY has risen the most among the majors in the past month. The current swift up move of USD/JPY has prompted FX verbal intervention today from Japan’s Ministry of Finance. The current tonality of verbal intervention is the strongest since mid-August 2023 that occurred when the current upward trajectory of USD/JPY is fast approaching a key medium-term resistance zone of 148.40/148.85. Short-term upside momentum has started to wane.   This is a follow-up analysis of our prior report, “USD/JPY Technical: Bullish tone resumes, 148.20/85 next resistance to watch” published on 17 August 2023. Click here for a recap. The USD/JPY has indeed staged the expected up-move in the past two weeks and surpassed the 147.20/147.50 resistance highlighted in our previous report as it printed an intraday high of 147.80 during yesterday’s US session, 5 September.     USD/JPY is the top performer among the majors in the past month The recent movement seen in the USD/JPY has been fast and furious since last Friday, 1 September ex-post US non-farm payrolls data release. Based on the one-month rolling performances of the major currencies as of today, 6 September (at this time of the writing), the US dollar has strengthened the most against the JPY (+4%), a relatively stark USD/JPY outperformance versus other major pairs such as the USD/EUR (+2.6%), USD/CHF (+1.8%), and USD/GBP (+1.4%).   Fig 1:  Rolling one-month FX majors’ performances against the USD as of 6 September 2023 (Source: TradingView, click to enlarge chart) This recent bout of short-term shift rally seen in the USD/JPY has prompted Japan’s Ministry of Finance to issue a verbal warning to FX speculators this morning (Asian session) to negate the current bout of JPY weakness. Vice Finance Minister Masato Kanda, the Japanese official in charge of foreign exchange matters said that authorities “will not rule out any options on currencies if speculative moves persist” and added “it is important for currency moves to reflect fundamentals”, a possible hint that the current level of USD/JPY does not reflect the latest set of Japanese inflation data where inflationary pressures in Japan have remained elevated excluding fresh food and energy components. Interestingly, this latest tone of FX verbal intervention from Japan’s Ministry of Finance is the strongest warning since mid-August 2023 after the USD/JPY sailed past the psychological levels of 145 and 146. From a technical analysis perspective, today’s verbal intervention materialized while the current impulsive up-move sequence in the USD/JPY has been fast approaching the key medium-term resistance zone of 148.40/148.85 (see daily chart below). Therefore, it reinforces the significance of the 148.20/148.85 zone on the USD/JPY.   148.40/148.85 key medium-term resistance to watch on USD/JPY Fig 2:  USD/JPY medium-term trend as of 6 Sep 2023 (Source: TradingView, click to enlarge chart) Short-term downside momentum has started to ease below 147.90 Fig 3:  USD/JPY minor short-term trend as of 6 Sep 2023 (Source: TradingView, click to enlarge chart) Meanwhile, the hourly RSI indicator, a gauge of momentum has flashed a bearish divergence condition at its overbought zone yesterday and started to inch lower (below 70) in today’s Asian session. These observations have suggested the short-term upside momentum of the recent up move from last Friday, 1 September low of 144.44 has waned and the USD/JPY now faces the risk of a minor pull-back on an intraday basis. A breakdown below 147.20 may trigger the minor pull-back scenario to expose the intermediate support zone of 146.30/145.70 (also the 20-day moving average). On the flip side, a clearance above 147.90 is likely to resume the impulsive up-move sequence to see the key medium-term resistance zone coming in at 148.40/148.45.    

Canada expected to have shed 6,400 jobs BoC’s Macklem says rate increases may be needed to lower inflation The Canadian dollar is steady on Friday in what should be a busy day. In the European session, USD/CAD is trading at 1.3670, down 0.12%. Canada releases the August job report later today, with the markets braced for a decrease of 6,400 in employment. The US dollar has been on a tear against the major currencies since mid-July. The Canadian dollar has slumped, losing about 450 basis points during that span. The Canadian economy hasn’t been able to keep pace with its southern neighbor, and that was made painfully clear as GDP contracted by 0.2% in the second quarter, below expectations. The deterioration in economic growth is a result of a weak global economy as well as the Bank of Canada’s steep tightening cycle. After back-t0-back increases, the BoC opted to pause at this week’s meeting and held the benchmark cash rate at 5.0%. Governor Macklem likes to use the term “conditional pause”, which means that a break from rate hikes will depend on economic growth and inflation levels.   At this week’s meeting, the BoC’s rate statement was hawkish, warning that inflation was too high and not falling fast enough. This was a signal that the door remained open to interest rate increases. Macklem was more explicit on Thursday, stating that further rate hikes might be needed to lower inflation and warning that persistently high inflation would be worse than high borrowing costs. The markets are more dovish about the BoC’s rate path, given that the economy is cooling and the central bank will be wary about too much tightening which could tip the economy into a recession. The markets have priced in a 14% probability of a rate hike at the October meeting.   USD/CAD Technical USD/CAD is testing resistance at 1.3657. The next resistance line is 1.3721 1.3573 and 1.3509 are providing support  

Instead of declining, the US ISM Services PMI rose to 54.5 in August from 52.7 in July. The report recorded growth in all key parameters – employment, new orders, and even prices. Apparently, increased levels of consumer spending had become the main reason for the rise, but the question of whether consumer activity will remain high in the coming months remains debatable. The US ISM data contrasts with the rest of the world, as similar gauges in China, the eurozone, and the UK, showed a decline, and the market interprets the results in favor of the US dollar.   Take note that the final reading from S&P Global Business on the US services sector PMI was slightly lower than the preliminary one - 50.5 vs. 51.0, which sharply contradicts the ISM readings. This imbalance will be resolved next month. The Federal Reserve's Beige Book showed that economic and labor market growth slowed in July and August, while many businesses expect wage growth to slow down in the near future. Here, too, we see a discrepancy with the ISM assessment, especially in light of the Fed's policy of restraining consumer demand as one of the key factors in inflation.   The GDPNow model estimate for real GDP growth by the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta in the third quarter of 2023 is 5.6 percent on September 6. Take note that this is a very high figure.   In summary, the general fundamental story suggests that the US is still a bit stronger compared to the rest of the world, and this will be the catalyst for the dollar strength, which remains the primary favorite in the currency market.   USD/CAD As anticipated, the Bank of Canada held its key overnight interest rate unchanged at 5%. Therefore, changes in policy are deferred to the next meeting on October 26, where, among other things, forecasts will be updated. In the accompanying statement for the July 12 meeting, it was stated that the rate was raised due to accumulation of evidence that excess demand and elevated core inflation have proved to be persistent. This time, the wording has been changed to a more neutral tone: "With recent evidence that excess demand in the economy is easing, and given the lagging effects of monetary policy...". This implies that the BoC believes that the measures taken earlier are yielding results and no changes are needed. Only time will tell whether this is really the case, but one thing is clear – the Canadian dollar has become more susceptible to further weakness. At least, concern about the persistently high core inflation was specifically emphasized. At the moment, the probability of a rate hike in October is estimated at 25%, which is too little for a bullish revision of CAD forecasts. The net short CAD position increased by 0.3 billion to -1.2 billion over the reporting week, indicating bearish positioning. The price is significantly above the long-term average, and there are no signs of a reversal. USD/CAD continues to gradually rise. The pair has reached the nearest target that we mentioned in the previous review, and it appears that it will eventually test the upper band of the 1.3700/20 channel. It is likely for the pair to break above the channel, with 1.3857 as the medium-term target. From a technical perspective, after testing the upper band of the channel, we can expect a retracement towards the channel's midpoint. However, fundamental indicators suggest further growth.      

While the euro is actively trying to find some kind of bottom against the US dollar, the speeches of European politicians are coming to an end. Perhaps after that, the pressure on the single currency will somehow decrease, but personally, I have strong doubts about this, as there are absolutely no reasons for it. And if we also consider the first possible pause in the cycle of interest rate hikes from 2022, as well as the actively shrinking European economy, then we can deduce that there will be fewer reasons to buy risky assets.   However, some hawkish European politicians continue to "stick to their guns." According to a member of the Executive Board, Klaas Knot, investors betting against the European Central Bank raising interest rates next week may underestimate the likelihood of it happening. While a slowdown in the eurozone's 20-nation economy is sure to damp demand, updated inflation projections won't differ much from the last round in June, the Dutch central bank chief said. "I continue to think that hitting our inflation target of 2% at the end of 2025 is the bare minimum we have to deliver," said Knot.   As I mentioned earlier, he made such statements before a week-long period of calm preceding the September meeting of the ECB Governing Council. Knot also noted that the markets are currently experiencing difficulties, which are also experienced by the central bank. Just recently, the central bank governors of Germany, Belgium, Austria, and Latvia expressed support for another quarter-point rate hike, likely the last in this cycle. However, their colleagues from Italy and Portugal are among those emphasizing that economic risks are starting to emerge. Recent eurozone PMI data and today's revised downward GDP report for the eurozone in the 2nd quarter clearly indicate this. ECB President Christine Lagarde, speaking earlier this week, also did not make any commitments, simply stating that inflation is too high, and the central bank is determined to tame it, with decisions based on appropriate data. Obviously, it's also challenging to assess the current progress in inflation. Underlying pressure has decreased, but the overall reading has increased due to a sharp spike in non-oil prices. European politicians have also recently discussed this, lamenting issues with the energy market. Wage negotiations and corporate price behavior will be crucial in determining how quickly inflation returns to the target level. As for today's technical picture for EUR/USD, the bears have slightly eased their grip. To maintain control, bulls need to stay above 1.0700. This will allow them to break back to 1.0750. From there, they can climb to 1.0770, but it will be quite difficult to do so without support from major players. In the event of a downtrend, I only expect significant action from major buyers around 1.0700. If there's no significant support there, it would be a good idea to wait for a new low at 1.0665 or open long positions from 1.0635. Regarding the technical picture for GBP/USD, the pound will continue to fall. We can only bet on a recovery once traders take control of the level at 1.2530. Returning to this range will restore hope for a recovery towards 1.2560, after that we can talk about a more significant surge towards 1.2700. In case the pair falls, bears will try to take control below 1.2484. If they succeed in doing so, breaking through the range will hit bullish positions and push GBP/USD towards the low at 1.2440 with the potential to reach 1.2400.

Early in the European session, gold (XAU/USD) is trading around 1,925.28, below the 200 EMA, above the 3/8 Murray. We can see a recovery in gold but we should wait for a confirmation. The price of gold rebounded from a low of 1,915 forming a double bottom with the low of August 28. For this technical reversal pattern to be confirmed, gold should consolidate above 1,930. In the 4-hour chart, we can see that gold managed to sharply break the downtrend channel formed since August 30. In the next few hours, if the price consolidates above 1,930, the bullish cycle could resume and the instrument could reach 4/8 Murray at 1,937. If gold consolidates above 1,921, we could expect a bullish rally and the price could break above the 200 EMA. Such a price action could be seen as an opportunity to buy with targets at 1,937 (4/8 Murray) and 1,953 (5/8 Murray). On the other hand, in case a reversal occurs in the price towards 1,917 and gold consolidates above 1,915, it could also be seen as a signal to buy since the double bottom pattern confirms an upside potential. The daily pivot point is located at 1,919 which adds an upside potential for the next few days. If gold falls and bounces above this area, it could be favorable for a recovery in the short term. The eagle indicator is slightly bearish. The key to a change in trend will be to wait for a daily confirmation close above 1,930.    

BoE hints at balanced debate at the next meeting Employment survey points to further weakness GBPUSD nearing major support zone   A big couple of weeks are in store for the Bank of England and figures today may support the case for a more balanced debate on 21st September, as policymakers hinted this week. Inflation is by no means under control but it is falling fast and, if the BoE is to be believed, it is expected to fall markedly over the remainder of the year. If the MPC is going to be confident of inflation returning sustainably to 2%, the labor market will likely be key to it so there’ll likely be a much greater focus on it going forward. We’re already seeing some progress on this front but much more is likely needed. Today’s survey from KPMG and REC suggests more weakness is on the horizon. Permanent placements, availability, and salaries are all promising from a BoE perspective and may contribute to some lively debate in a couple of weeks. Of course, surveys alone won’t be enough to convince them. The UK jobs report next week could offer another helping hand and put the decision on the 21st much more in the balance. Markets are currently convinced that another hike is coming but that may change if unemployment ticks higher again and wages soften.   GBPUSD continues to slide toward key SMA band The pound has continued to fall this week, aided by the comments from the BoE and perhaps today’s survey.   GBPUSD Daily Source – OANDA on Trading View After breaking below the August lows earlier this week, shortly after running into resistance from the 55/89-day simple moving average band, the pair is continuing to edge closer to the 200/233-day SMA band. This falls around 1.23-1.24 and also coincides with the lows from the second quarter of this year. A break below here could be a very bearish development, especially if aided by a weaker UK jobs report or stronger US inflation release.  

The recent four months of bullish acceleration may have reached a major climax condition at 166.60 resistance. The short-term minor trend of CHF/JPY has turned bearish as it traded below the prior upward-sloping 20-day moving average. Watch the key short-term resistance at 165.60 on CHF/JPY. This is a follow-up analysis of our prior report, “CHF/JPY Technical: Relentless uptrend movement” published on 31 August 2023. Click here for a recap. After recording an accumulated gain of +2,378 pips since January 2023, the cross pair CHF/JPY seems to have lost its bullish mojo as it failed to make any headway above the 166.60 key major resistance and broke below its medium-term support at 164.50 (defined by the lower boundary of an ascending channel from 20 March 2023 low) yesterday, 11 September.   A major bullish climax may have been reached   Fig 1:  CHF/JPY long-term term secular trend as of 12 Sep 2023 (Source: TradingView, click to enlarge chart) The recent bullish acceleration move in the past four months may have reached a climax where price actions at the end of August 2023 formed a monthly bearish “Spinning Top” candlestick pattern coupled with the 3-month RSI oscillator hitting an extreme all-time high overbought level of 80.79 at this time of the writing based on data available since April 1972.   Short-term momentum has turned bearish     Fig 2:  CHF/JPY minor short-term trend as of 12 Sep 2023 (Source: TradingView, click to enlarge chart) Since 7 September 2022, the CHF/JPY has pierced below its 20-day moving average and started to form a series of “lower highs” and “lower lows”. In conjunction with the 1-hour RSI oscillator that has also traced out similar “lower highs” below a parallel descending resistance at the 57-level which suggests short-term bearish momentum of price actions remains intact. Watch the 165.60 key short-term pivotal resistance (also the 20-day moving average) and a break below the intermediate support at 163.80 (former minor range resistance of 21 July to 8 August 2023 & the 50-day moving average) may trigger a further impulsive slide to see the next support coming in at 162.10 in the first step. However, a clearance above 165.60 negates the bearish tone for a push-up to retest the 166.60 key major resistance.

EC downgrades eurozone growth for this year and next Will the ECB be deterred if their forecasts have similar downgrades? EURUSD slips below key support ahead of US inflation data and ECB   The European Commission downgraded its forecasts for the EU this year and next, weighed down by much weaker growth in Germany. The new forecasts won’t come as a major surprise and may even prove overly optimistic over time but they do come days ahead of the next ECB meeting and could tempt some policymakers into voting to pause the tightening cycle. ECB policymakers will obviously be armed with their own forecasts when it comes to the vote but it’s likely their growth expectations will be revised lower on the basis of recent releases. While markets are currently pricing in a pause this week, around 60/40 at the time of writing, I’m probably leaning more toward a final hike before pausing in October. It’s probably easier to justify a hike this week than it may be at the end of next month and I’m not sure there’s enough desire at the ECB to stop at the current rates. Weaker economic readings will probably drive a lively debate and they obviously won’t suggest, if they do hike, that it’s job done, rather more finely balanced. But they can’t ignore the progress in recent months, other economic indicators, and the lag effect of past moves.   A cautious breakout but perhaps still a significant one Recent strength in the US dollar has prompted a breakout against the euro in the last week which may prove to be very significant.   EURUSD Daily Source – OANDA on Trading View   While it continues to trade in a descending channel, the pair has broken below the 200/233-day simple moving average band for the first time since November. It then ran into support around 1.07 which has been a notable level of support in the past and the May low isn’t far below here. The interesting thing is that while the breakout hasn’t been the catalyst for a sharper move lower, yet, the decline isn’t lacking momentum. The MACD and stochastic are continuing to make new lows alongside price. Perhaps the MACD histogram is an exception but even this isn’t particularly clear. A break of the May low could confirm the move and see the sell-off accelerate. But with the US CPI to come on Wednesday and the ECB meeting on Thursday, there may be some apprehension among traders. That may even explain why it’s been more of a cautious breakout until this point.    

USD/JPY: After testing the target support at 145.90, the USD/JPY pair has been rising for two days. The price may reach the price channel line at 147.80, but it's unlikely to break above it and reach the target level of 148.50. The lack of divergence is still a hindrance to the pair's growth, and there's a good chance that the US dollar will strengthen after tonight's US inflation report.     Given these conditions, the price could test the support at 145.90, supported by the MACD indicator line, and only then will it be able to continue rising if the yen considers this plan. However, if the price settles below 145.90, it will continue to fall towards 144.73.    

 Following on from weakness in the US and Europe, stocks in Asia fell across the board as oil prices extended gains ahead of today’s key US inflation report. The weakness in US stocks was led by technology companies with Apple dropping almost 2%. The potentially tightest oil market in a decade lifted oil prices while raising fresh inflation concerns saw the 2-year Treasury yield back above 5%, while the dollar traded mixed against its G10 peers after seeing broad gains on Tuesday. US CPI the focus today given the current 50/50 split on whether the FOMC will hike rates one more time.   Equities: Nasdaq 100 futures are sliding further this morning to the 15,478 level as Apple’s iPhone event last night failed to muster any excitement, which means that the market is now in a wait-and-see mode ahead of today’s US inflation report. Energy stocks continue to be in focus given the rally in Brent crude on estimated oil supply shortfall due to Saudi Arabia’s oil production cuts. FX: Higher crude oil prices made CAD the G-10 outperformer with USDCAD down to 1.3550 from 1.3590 but EUR attempted to catch up in late NY/early Asian hours on ECB leak that inflation forecasts may be raised higher which are seen to be raising the prospect of a hike this week. EURUSD jumped higher to 1.0770 with EURGBP above the 0.86 hurdle as GBPUSD dipped below 1.25 on not-so-hawkish labor market. USDCNH takes another leg lower below 7.29 but AUDUSD also dipped to 0.64 handle in Asia. Commodities: Saudi Arabia’s ‘stable market’ reason for cutting production rings increasingly hallow after OPEC in their monthly report said the market may experience a shortfall of 3.3m b/d in the fourth quarter. With the EIA meanwhile only predicting a 230k b/d shortfall, OPEC could find themselves being accused of trying to inflate prices to meet big spending plans among its members. IEA’s report will be on watch today ahead of the US CPI print and EIA’s weekly stock report which according to API’s figures may show a rise. Oil’s rally to a fresh 10-month high and the stronger dollar saw gold drop below 200DMA as inflation concerns returned, bringing more fear of rate hikes. Fixed income: European sovereign curves are likely to bear-flatten this morning after Reuters reported that the ECB expects inflation to remain above 3% next year and growth to be downgraded for this and next year. Despite the upcoming forecasts painting the perfect stagflation picture for the eurozone, policymakers will weigh their options carefully and tilt towards a hawkish pause rather than a hike. Yet, they might need to reinforce their message by ending reinvestments under the PEPP facility. That would buy them enough time to wait for rate hikes to feed through the economy instead of adding pressure to the German and Dutch recessions. The focus today is on the US CPI numbers and the 30-year US Treasury auction. Volatility: VIX traded 43 cents higher at 14.23, but more importantly the VIX futures traded 1.31 higher, up to 15.95, indicating there is some uncertainty about the upcoming US inflation report. Adobe, which is scheduled to release its earnings report later this week, closed lower yesterday. Options traders were divided on the stock, with the put/call ratio at 1, indicating that equal amounts of calls and puts were traded. This might suggest that there is no clear consensus on how the earnings report will be received.  Macro: ECB’s new 2024 inflation projection could be raised above 3% vs 3% in June, firming case for interest rate hike. ECB also to cut 2023 and 2024 economic growth projections to broadly in line with market expectations. UK labor report was mixed with headline earnings up 8.5% YoY in July vs. 8.2% expected. For more, read our latest Macro/FX Watch. In the news: Europe's high gas prices hit industrial output – full story on Reuters. Apple unveiled four new iPhone models with a muted reaction from investors in extended trading – full story in FT. Technical analysis: S&P 500 rejected at 4,540 resistance level, expect set back, support at 4,340.Nasdaq 100 rejected at 15,561 key resistance level. USDJPY uptrend eyeing 149-150. EURUSD downtrend, support at 1.0685, Expect short-term bounce to 1.08. Brent oil uptrend potential to 98.50 Macro events: UK Industrial Production (Jul) exp. -0.7% m/m vs 1.8% prior (0600 GMT), US CPI (Aug) exp. 0.6% m/m and 0.2% core vs 02% and 0.2% prior (1230 GMT), US 30-year T-bond auction ($20 billion) Commodities events:  IEA’s Oil Market Report (0900 GMT), EIA’s Weekly Crude and Fuel Stock Report (1430 GMT) Earnings events: Inditex F424 1H results, which have already reported with EPS at €0.81 vs est. €0.80 and a small positive revenue surprise.  

The small-cap Russell 2000 which is considered as a better proxy of the US economy has just broken below its key 200-day moving average. It is the worst-performing major US benchmark stock index since August 2023. Its recent major downtrend phase from 5 November 2021 to 16 June 2022 started ahead of the other indices; S&P 500, Nasdaq 100, and Dow Jones Industrial Average. Given such a leading element, a further down move in the Russell 2000 may trigger a similar negative feedback loop into the other US benchmark stock indices. Watch its key short-term resistance at 1,865.   Since the US regional banking crisis that imploded in early March this year, the performance of the small-cap Russell 2000 has not made any headway as it failed to break above its major “Symmetrical Triangle” range resistance at 2,009 in place since 16 August 2022. Also, in the past two months, it has been the worst-performing major US benchmark stock indices where it ended August with a loss of -5.17%, way below the S&P 500 (-1.77%), Nasdaq 100 (-1.62%), Dow Jones Industrial Average (-2.36%). For the current month-to-date performance as of 13 September, the Russell 2000 has remained in the doldrums with a loss of -3.10% and underperformed against the S&P 500 (-0.89%), Nasdaq 100 (-0.98%), Dow Jones Industrial Average (-0.42%) over the same period.   Broke below key 200-day moving average   Fig 1: US Russ 2000 major and medium-term trends as of 14 Sep 2023 (Source: TradingView, click to enlarge chart) The current price actions of the US Russ 2000 Index (a proxy for the Russell 2000 futures) have inched lower since the 1 August 2023 high of 2,009 and it is now almost at a similar price level during the onset of the US regional banking liquidity crisis that erupted on 9 March 2023. Technical analysis and momentum factor are now flashing signs of potential medium-term weakness as yesterday’s daily price action at the close has broken below its key 200-day moving average slightly at the end of yesterday, 13 September US session. Also, the US Russ 2000 Index is the sole US benchmark index that has breached below the key 200-day moving average ahead of the others (S&P 500, Nasdaq 100 & Dow Jones Industrial Average). Interestingly, in the prior major downtrend phase, the US Russ 2000 Index kickstarted the bearish movement ahead of the rest where its all-time high of 2,464 peaked on 8 November 2021 before the respective peak periods of all-time highs of the S&P 500 (4 January 2022), Nasdaq 100 (22 November 2021), Dow Jones Industrial Average (5 January 2022).   Therefore, if the US Russ 2000 starts to exhibit another bout of multi-week down move sequence thereafter and breaks below the major “Symmetrical Triangle” range support at 1,734, it may signal the start of another major downtrend phase for the US benchmark stock indices. Oscillating within a short-term minor downtrend   Fig 2: US Russ 2000 short-term minor trend as of 14 Sep 2023 (Source: TradingView, click to enlarge chart) Since its 1 September 2023 high of 1,931, the price actions of the US Russ 2000 Index have evolved within a minor descending channel and traded below a downward-slopping 20-day moving average which indicates a short-term minor downtrend is in motion. Watch the 1,865 key short-term pivotal resistance to maintain the short-term bearish scenario to see the intermediate supports coming in at 1,832 and 1,814 (Fibonacci extension from 1 September 2023 high, lower boundary of the minor descending channel & 3 April/19 April 2023 swing lows). On the flip side, a clearance above 1,865 negates the bullish tone for a squeeze up towards the 1,894/1,898 resistance zone (congestion area of 1 September/6 September 2023 & 61.8% Fibonacci retracement of the current minor down move from 1 September 2023 high to 13 September 2023, US session low).  

ECB rate decision expected to be a close call US to release retail sales and producer prices The euro is showing limited movement on Thursday, ahead of today’s ECB rate decision. In the European session, EUR/USD is trading at 1.0736, down 0.06%. Will she or won’t she? All eyes are on ECB President Christine Lagarde, who will decide whether the ECB will increase rates by a quarter-point or hold off and take a pause after nine straight increases. Interest rate futures have priced in a hike at 65% but there is a lot of uncertainty among economists and the decision is expected to be a close call, as the Governing Council appears split on the issue. There are strong arguments on both sides, and Lagarde could end up with a type of compromise that ends up being a ‘hawkish hold’ or a ‘dovish hike’. The latest development was a report in Reuters on Wednesday that the ECB inflation forecasts will be increased at today’s meeting, which raised expectations for a hike. Traders should be prepared for volatility from the euro after the decision, which is a binary risk event for the euro. A rate hike would likely boost the euro while a hold could weigh on the currency. Still, any swings in EUR/USD could be immediate and short-lived. The markets will be paying close attention to the policy statement and whether the Governing Council decision was a close call. It’s a busy day in the US as well, with the release of retail sales and producer prices for August. Retail sales are expected to ease to 0.2% m/m, down from 0.7% m/m, while PPI is forecast to rise to 1.2% y/y, up from 0.8% m/m. The releases could trigger volatility from EUR/USD in the North American session.   The US inflation report on Wednesday was a mix, as headline inflation rose in August from 3.2% to 3.7%, while core CPI eased to 4.3%, down from 4.7%. The jump in headline inflation may have attracted media attention, but the Fed will be pleased with the drop in core CPI, which is a better gauge of underlying inflation. The inflation report has cemented a pause at next week’s meeting, with the future markets pricing in a pause at 97%, up from 93% prior to the inflation release. . EUR/USD Technical EUR/USD is testing resistance at 1.0732. Above, there is resistance at 1.0777 There is support at 1.0654 and 1.060        

In this Technical Update: DAX / GER40, AEX25 / NETH25, BEL20 / BELG20, CAC40 / FRA40 and SMI20 / SWISS20 DAX is range bound between 16,060 and 15,482. Break out needed for direction. Negative sentiment on RSI is indicating break is to be to the down side, and with the 55 and 100 Moving Average slightly declining the underlying trend sentiment is bearish. If closing below key support at around 15,482 there is downside risk to around 15K.Breaking bullish can be a struggle with the two Moving Average acting as a ceiling. It could be a struggle for DAX to penetrate. But if it does a move to July peak around 16,500 is likely       AEX25/NETH25 is bouncing from key strong support at around 730. However, the trend is down and there is no RSI divergence supporting the view of lower AEX levels. If AEX is closing below 730 a swift sell-off down to around 716-710 support is likely.For AEX to demolish the bearish trend a close above 755 is needed.However, with the 55 Moving Average on the verge of breaking below the 100 while they are bot declining thus forming a Death Cross upside potential is limited. That is not bullish for AEX     BEL20/BELG20 is side stepping failing to close above key resistance at around 3,696.RSI sentiment is negative indicating BEL20 is likely to trade lower in coming days and weeks.A close below 3,610 could ignite a sell off down to around 3,600-3,550.A close above 3,696 is needed for BEL20 to reverse to uptrend         CAC40/FRA40 Index has been range bound since April with a bearish undertone. The 200 Moving Average is providing support  but upside potential seems limited with the Index moving below declining 55 and 100 Moving Averages. A re-test of key strong support at around 7,082 is in the cards.If CAC40 is closing below 7,082 there is no strong support until around 6,900       SMI20/SWISS20 is forming symmetrical triangle pattern. Break out is needed for direction.Break out direction is likely to be to the downside as indicated by the negative RSI sentiment and all Moving Averages decliningIf that is the scenario that will play out SMI has downside potential to around 10,515 before finding support.Minor support at around 10,750.If Bullish break out there is strong overhead resistance with the declining Moving Averages above the Index.A close above 11,173 is needed for bullish trend      

US and European equity futures markets trade higher with Asian markets also climbing on cautious optimism the Federal Reserve may decide to pause rate hikes after US core inflation advanced the least in two years. The dollar and Treasury yield both trade softer ahead of US retail sales with the euro ticking higher as traders' price in a two-third chance of a rate hike from the European Central Bank later today. Crude trades near a ten-month high on concerns about a supply shortfall, copper higher on yuan strength while gold prices have steadied following a two-day decline.   Equities: S&P 500 futures are holding up well against recent weakness trading around the 4,530 level despite yesterday’s higher-than-expected US inflation opening the door for the Fed to hike interest rates one more time in December. Arm IPO was priced at the top end of the range at $51 per share with trading set to being today. Adobe earnings after the US market close could be a key event for the AI-related cluster of stocks. FX: The US dollar wobbled on the CPI release but could not close the day higher with Treasury yields slipping. EUR in the spotlight today as ECB decision is due, and EURUSD has found support at 1.07 for now with a rate hike priced in with over 65% probability. USDJPY trades softer after government minister talked about the need for strong economic measures. Yuan strengthened further with authorities increasing bill sales in Hong Kong to soak up yuan liquidity making it more expensive to short the currency. Commodities: Brent holds above $92 and WTI near $90 after the IEA joined OPEC’s warnings of a supply shortfall in the coming months, thereby supporting a rally that started back in June when Saudi Arabia curbed supply to boost prices. Softening the rally was a weekly US stock report showing rising stocks and production near the 2020 record. Near-term the market looks overbought and in need of a pullback. Gold looking for support ahead of $1900 with a hawkish FOMC pause back on the agenda while copper trades firmer with a stronger yuan offsetting a rise in LME stocks to a two-year high Fixed income: The US yield curve bull-steepened yesterday despite higher-than-expected CPI numbers, indicating that the Federal Reserve might be approaching the end of the hiking cycle. Yet, long-term yields remained flat as the 30-year auction showed a drop in indirect demand and tailed by 1bps despite pricing at the highest yield since 2011. Overall, we remain cautious, favouring the front part of the yield curve over a long duration. Bonds will gain as the economy starts to show signs of deceleration. Still, larger coupon auction sizes and a hawkish BOJ will support long-term yields unless a tail event materializes. We still see 10-year yields rising further to test strong resistance at 4.5%. Today, the focus will be on the ECB, which markets expect to hike. Due to a recession in Germany and in Netherlands, we believe that the ECB will deliver a hawkish pause today, which might result in a short-lived bond rally. Macro: US CPI surprised to the upside, but it did not alter the markets thinking around the Fed. Core CPI rose 0.3% MoM, or +0.278% unrounded, above the prior/expected +0.2%, with core YoY printing 4.3%, down from July's 4.7%, and in line with expectations. Headline print was in line with expectations at 0.6% MoM, up from +0.2% on account of energy price increases, with YoY lifting to 3.7% from 3.2%, above the expected 3.6%. The PBoC announced plans to issue RMB15 billion Central Bank Bills in Hong Kong on September 19, which is going to tighten CNH (offshore renminbi) liquidity further In the news: Asset managers BlackRock and Amundi are warning that US recession risks are rising – full story in the FT. Germany is facing big structural problems in its manufacturing sector with gloom taking over among workers – full story in the FT. The EU is weighing tariffs against China over flooding the market with cheap electric vehicles – full story on Reuters. Technical analysis: S&P 500. Key at resistance at 4,540. Key Support at 4,340. Nasdaq 100 15,561 is key resistance. EURUSD downtrend, support at 1.0685, Expect short-term bounce to 1.08. AUDJPY testing resistance at 95.00. Crude oil uptrend stretched, expect a correction lower Macro events: ECB Main Refinancing Rate exp. unchanged at 4.25% (1215 GMT), US Retail Sales (Aug) exp. 0.1% vs 0.7% prior (1230 GMT), US Initial Jobless Claims exp. 225k vs 216k prior (1230 GMT), US PPI (Aug) exp. 0.4% vs 0.3% prior (1230 GMT), Commodities events:  EIA’s Weekly Natural Gas Storage Change (1430 GMT) Earnings events: Adobe reports FY23 Q3 earnings (ending 31 August) after the US market close with analyst expecting revenue growth of 10% y/y and EPS of $3.98 up 63% y/y. Read our earnings preview here.  

Australia posts strong job gains, but mostly part-time jobs US retail sales and PPI accelerate, core CPI eases The Australian dollar climbed higher after the solid Australian employment release but has pared these gains following the US retail sales and producer prices reports. In the North American session, AUD/USD is trading at 0.6440, up 0.28%   Australia’s labour market flexes its muscles Australian job creation sparkled in August. The economy added 64,900 jobs, blowing past the consensus estimate of 25,000 and rebounding from a revised decline of 1,400. However, the gains were almost exclusively in part-time roles, with full-time employment rising by only 2,800. The unemployment rate remained unchanged at 3.7%. The Australian dollar responded by rising as high as 0.6454, a nine-day high. The Reserve Bank of Australia has held rates for three straight times and this has contributed to today’s positive employment numbers. The extended pause has raised expectations that the RBA is close to wrapping up its rate-tightening cycle, but given that inflation is at 6%, double the upper range of the RBA’s target, the door is still open for one more rate hike in the fourth quarter. New RBA Governor Michelle Bullock has said rate decisions will be made based on the data, which means the markets won’t be able to rely on any forward guidance from the RBA. US retail sales, PPI beat estimates US retail sales accelerated in August to 0.6% m/m, higher than the consensus estimate of 0.2% and a notch higher than the 0.5% gain in July. The main driver of the strong release was gasoline prices, which jumped over 10% in August (that increase was a key factor in headline inflation rising on Wednesday). Producer prices mirrored the August CPI data, with headline PPI rising while the core rate declined. PPI climbed 0.7%, higher than the July read of 0.4% and the market consensus of 0.3%. Core PPI dropped to 0.2%, down from a revised 0.4% in June and matching the consensus estimate. On an annualized basis, headline PPI rose from 0.8% to 1.6% (1.2% est.) while the core rate dropped from 2.4% to 2.2% (2.2% est.).   AUD/USD Technical AUD/USD tested resistance at 0.6453 earlier. The next resistance line is 0.6528 0.6405 and 0.6330 are providing support  

The Australian dollar continues to drift as we start the new trading week. In Monday’s European session, AUD/USD is trading at 0.6438, up 0.11%. The Reserve Bank of Australia releases its minutes of this month’s meeting. The RBA extended a pause in rates for a third month, holding the official cash rate at 4.10%. This was ex-Governor Philip Lowe’s final meeting. Lowe noted that “passed its peak” but was “still too high and will remain so for some time yet”, as he kept the door open to further rate hikes. The markets are more dovish and are looking ahead to the RBA trimming rates sometime in 2024. Investors will be looking for clues in the minutes with regard to future rate moves. Michelle Bullock takes over today as the new Governor of the RBA. Bullock is not expected to make any major policy shifts and has stated that the upcoming rate decisions will be data-dependent. The new governor will have her hands full with implementing major changes at the bank, after a government committee urged an overhaul at the central bank which is intended to streamline the Bank’s activities and create greater transparency. The US ended last week on a mixed note. The Empire State Manufacturing Index surprised to the upside, jumping to 1.9 in September from -19 in August, above the market consensus of -10. The UoM consumer sentiment index slowed to 67.7 in September, down from 69.5 in August and shy of the market consensus of 69.1 points. Inflation Expectations fell to 3.1% in August, down from 3.5% in July and the lowest level since March 2021. This is another sign that inflation is weakening and supports a pause at the Federal Reserve meeting on Wednesday. The markets have priced in a pause at 99%, according to the CME FedWatch tool, up from 92% one week ago.   AUD/USD Technical AUD/USD tested support at 0.6428 earlier. The next support line is 0.6381 0.6477 and 0.6524 are the next resistance lines  

RBA minutes show that central bank considered rate hike China to announce loan prime rate decision on Wednesday The Australian dollar continues to trade quietly this week. In Tuesday’s European session, AUD/USD is trading at 0.6456, up 0.30%. The Reserve Bank of Australia released the minutes of this month’s meeting earlier today. The central bank considered a quarter-point hike but eventually decided to maintain the benchmark cash rate unchanged at 4.1%. RBA board members were split in previous decisions and this meeting seems to have repeated the pattern. The minutes noted that weak growth and high inflation supported the case for increasing interest rates, but the board ultimately opted to pause, due to the risk that the effects of the tightening cycle were yet to be felt (“lags in the transmission of policy through the economy”). The minutes noted that board members listed weak domestic demand and contagion from China’s slowdown as risk factors for an economic slowdown. Despite these concerns, the RBA has signalled that inflation remains too high and has left the door open to further hikes. Inflation is currently running at 6% and the RBA has forecast that inflation will slow to around 3.25% by the end of 2024 and won’t fall back into the 2%-3% target range until late 2025. The new RBA Governor, Michelle Bullock, will have to determine a rate path that is suitable for a weak Australian economy that is grappling with high inflation. Bullock has said that upcoming rate decisions will be based on data, but a more proactive approach may be needed rather than simply reacting to the data around the time of a rate meeting. The Australian dollar is sensitive to Chinese releases and investors will be keeping an eye on the PBOC decision on one-year and five-year loan prime rates on Wednesday. These rates are likely to remain unchanged, but any surprises could have an impact on the movement of the Aussie. China’s slowdown has weighed on the Australian dollar, but the August retail sales and industrial production reports beat expectations and have raised hopes that China’s economic downturn is abating.   AUD/USD Technical AUD/USD is putting pressure on resistance at 0.6477. The next resistance line is 0.6524 0.6381 and 0.6332 are the next support levels    

New Zealand Services PMI declines US manufacturing data climbs, consumer sentiment falls The New Zealand dollar has started the week in positive territory. NZD/USD is trading at 0.5918 in the North American session, up 0.34%. New Zealand’s Services PMI declines New Zealand’s Services PMI eased to 47.1 in August, down from 47.8 in July. The reading marked a third straight decline in activity and was the lowest level since January 2022. This comes on the heels of Friday’s Manufacturing PMI, which fell to 46.1 in August, down from 46.6 a month earlier. This was the sixth consecutive month of contraction (the 50.0 line separates contraction from expansion). The Reserve Bank of New Zealand has been forecasting a recession and the weak PMIs support this view. New Zealand’s economy has cooled down due to the central bank’s steep tightening and global demand has weakened, most notably with China experiencing a slowdown and deflation. The RBNZ paused at the August meeting and interest rates may have peaked. If economic data remains weak, I would expect the RBNZ to prolong the pause at next month’s meeting. The US ended last week with mixed releases. The Empire State Manufacturing Index surprised and jumped to 1.9 in September, up from -19 in August and above the market consensus of -10. The UoM consumer sentiment index slowed to 67.7 in September, down from 69.5 in August and shy of the market consensus of 69.1 points. Inflation Expectations fell to 3.1% in August, down from 3.5% in July and the lowest level since March 2021. This is another sign that inflation is weakening and supports a pause at the Federal Reserve meeting on Wednesday. The markets have priced in a pause at 99%, according to the CME FedWatch tool, up from 92% one week ago.   NZD/USD Technical NZD/USD is testing resistance at 0.5908. The next resistance line is 0.5936 There is support at 0.5871 and 0.5843  

 EURUSD below key support eyeing 1.05GBPUSD testing key support at 1.2175. Will it hold?EURGBP testing 0.87 resistance set to movbe higherDollar Index testing key resistance at 105.80. Correction time before higher levels? EURUSD After a couple of tries EURUSD has closed below key support at around 1.0635. RSI has cancelled its divergence indicating likely lower EURSUD levels. Next support at around 1.05 If 1.05 is reached expect a correction but the underlying sentiment and trend is down as indicated by alle daily Moving Averages are declining. Adding to that the 55 Moving Average is just a few days from breaking below the 100 Moving Average. Medium-term EURUSD is currently indicating bearish trend. If EURUSD is closing the week below 1.0635 and if weekly RSI is closing below 40 threshold. To demolish the short-term bearish trend a close above 1.0770 is needed.        

EURGBP has reached the 0.382 distance of the top to bottom of the Descending triangle and is  is testing the triangle peak at around 0.87. RSI is above 60 strongly indicating higher EURGBP levels are likely. A close above 0.87 will pave the way towards 0.88 as indicated by the two vertical arrows. However, statistically the move after a Descending triangle break out is often cut short at around the 0.618 ratio i.e., at around 0.8737 To demolish this bullish picture EURGBP needs to close back below the upper falling trend line in the triangle     The Dollar Index has touched the strong resistance at around 105.80.RSI is showing positive sentiment but there is divergence indicating the uptrend is stretched and a correction is looming. If the Dollar Index is closing above 105.80 the RSI is closing above its upper falling trendline indicating likely higher Index levels. But if the Index is sliding back and the RSI is closing below its lower rising trendline a correction is most likely unfoldingStrong support at around 104.40. A close below is likely to initiate a larger correction down to the 0.382 retracement at around 103.35A close below 102.85 will reverse the bullish trend. Medium-term the Dollar Index is likely to move higher. Weekly RSI has closed above 60 indicating likely higher Index levels.If the Index is closing above 105.80 is could pave the way top 107.90    

Asian stocks fell with US futures as yields on 10-year Treasuries reach a 16-year high above 4.54% while China Evergrande Group missed a debt payment adding to fears about the sectors massive debt pile. Broad dollar strength continues with the greenback trading at its highest level since December as another Fed member said another rate hike this year will be needed. Crude oil trades softer amid macroeconomic concerns and a stretched speculative long while gold holds support despite multiple headwinds. The Saxo Quick Take is a short, distilled opinion on financial markets with references to key news and events. Equities: S&P 500 futures are under pressure this morning with the US 10-year yield hitting 4.55% extending its relentless move higher. If the US 10-year yield moves to 4.75% we will most likely begin seeing widening cracks in equities as the prevailing narrative of falling inflation collapses. Yesterday’s session saw no meaningful rotation between defensive and cyclical sectors. Today’s key events are US consumer confidence figures and Costco earnings tonight after the market close. FX: Higher Treasury yields, particularly in the long end, pushed the dollar higher to extend its gains. USDCHF rose to near 4-month highs of 0.9136 with immediate target at 0.9162 which is 0.382 retracement level. EURUSD broke below 1.06 support despite better-than-expected German Ifo. USDJPY attempted a move towards 149 with verbal intervention remaining lacklustre. AUD slipped on China woes while NZD and CAD were relative gainers, and the outperformer was SEK with the Riksbank starting its FX hedging today. Commodities: Crude trades lower for a second day with macroeconomic concerns, a stronger dollar and a stretched speculative long and easing refinery margin weighing on prices. Gold prices continue to defy gravity, holding above $1900 support with demand for stagflation protection offsetting the current yield and dollar surge. LME copper is trading at the widest contango (oversupply) since at least 1994 as inventories expand and China demand concerns persist. Wheat continues to face downward pressure from huge Russian harvest despite weather related downgrades in Australia. Fixed Income. The Federal Reserve’s higher-for-longer message reverberates through higher long-term US Treasury yields. Unless there is a sign that the job market is weakening significantly or that the economy is slowing down quickly, long-term yields will continue to soar. With 10-year yields breaking above 4.5% and selling pressure continuing to mount through an increase in coupon supply, quantitative tightening, and waning foreign investors demand, it’s likely to see yields continue to rise until something breaks. This week, our attention turns to US PCE numbers and Europe CPI data while the US Treasury will sell 2-, 5- and 7-year notes. It will be interesting to see if investors buy the belly of the yield curve as a sign that they are preparing for a bull rather than a bear-steepening. Overall, we continue to favour short-term maturities and quality. Volatility: VIX Index still sits at around the 17 level, but the downward pressure in equity futures this morning could push the VIX much higher. This could be a cycle where the market tests the 20 level. Macro: Fed’s Goolsbee (voter) kept the door open for more rate hikes while emphasizing higher-for-longer. Moody’s warned of a protracted government shutdown saying that it could weigh on consumer confidence and markets. Meanwhile, after PMIs, Germany’s Ifo also showed a slight improvement in business outlook to 85.7 vs. 85.2 expected, while the previous was revised higher to 85.8. There were several ECB speakers once again. Lagarde largely repeated what was said at the ECB Press Conference, noting policy rates have reached levels that, maintained for a sufficiently long duration, will make a substantial contribution to the timely return of inflation to target. Schnabel said there is not yet an all-clear for the inflation problem. In the news: Interest rates will stay high 'as long as necessary,' the European Central Bank's leader says (Quartz), Teetering China Property Giants Undercut Xi’s Revival Push (Bloomberg), Russia dodges G7 price cap sanctions on most of its oil exports (FT), Global trade falls at fastest pace since pandemic (FT), Dimon Warns World Not Ready for 7% Fed Rate: Times of India via Bloomberg Technical analysis: S&P500 downtrend support at 4,328 & 4,200. Nasdaq 100 support at 14,687 &14,254. DAX downtrend support at 14,933. EURUSD below strong support, resuming downtrend to 1.05. GBPUSD downtrend strong support at 1.2175. Gold rangebound 1,900-1,950. Crude oil correction: WTI expect to 87.58. Brent to 80.62. US 10-year T-yields 4.55, uptrend but expect minor correction Macro events: US New Home Sales (Aug) exp 699k vs 714k prior (1400 GMT), US Consumer Confidence (Sep) exp 105.5 vs 106.1 prior. Speeches from Fed’s Bowman (voter) as well as ECB’s Lane, Simkus and Muller. Earnings events: Costco reports FY23 Q4 earnings (aft-mkt) today with estimated revenue growth of 8% y/y and EPS growth of 14% y/y. H&M reports FY23 Q3 earnings (bef-mkt) with estimated revenue growth of 7% y/y and EPS growth of 47% y/y. Micron Technology reports FY23 Q4 earnings (aft-mkt) with estimated revenue growth of -41% y/y and EPS of $-1.18 vs $1.37 a year ago. Accenture reports FY23 Q4 earnings (bef-mkt) with estimated revenue growth of 4% y/y and EPS unchanged from a year ago. Nike reports FY24 Q1 earnings (aft-mkt) with estimated revenue growth of 3% y/y and EPS growth of –20% y/y.

The recent minor corrective pull-back of -4.7% from its 19 September 2023 high of US$93.05 is likely to have ended. Bullish reversal candlestick, a daily “Hammer” sighted after a retest on its upward-sloping 20-day moving average. Key short-term support to watch will be at US$90.30, the pull-back of the former minor “pennant” range resistance. This is a follow-up analysis of our prior report, “WTI Oil Technical: Bullish exhaustion sighted below US$93.80 per barrel key resistance” published on 20 September 2023. Click here for a recap. West Texas Oil (a proxy of WTI crude oil futures) has indeed shaped the bearish counter-trend pull-back movement of -4.7% from its 19 September 2023 minor swing high of US$93.05/barrel to a low of US$88.66/barrel printed yesterday, 26 September which fell short of the earlier highlighted short-term support zone of US$86.30/US$84.90 as per highlighted in our prior analysis. Overall, the price actions of West Texas Oil are still evolving within a major uptrend phase which is still intact since its 4 May 2023 low of US$63.67 per barrel.     Key bullish reversal sighted after a retest on the 20-day moving average   Fig 1:  West Texas Oil medium-term& major trends as of 27 Sep 2023 (Source: TradingView, click to enlarge chart) Interestingly, there was a significant change in sentiment yesterday that led to the formation of a daily bullish reversal “Hammer” candlestick pattern right after a retest on the upward-sloping 20-day moving average that is acting as a support at around US$88.90/barrel. These positive technical elements where price actions have staged an intraday reversal from yesterday, 26 September intraday low of US$88.66/barrel and closed near the upper end of its intraday range suggests a potential start of another medium-term impulsive up move sequence within its major uptrend phase.   Bullish breakout from minor “pennant” range configuration Fig 2:  West Texas Oil minor short-term trend as of 27 Sep 2023 (Source: TradingView, click to enlarge chart) Yesterday’s price actions of West Texas Oil have also staged a bullish breakout from a 5-day minor “pennant” range configuration which indicates a potential continuation of its prior short-term bullish movement above the 20-day moving average. Watch the US$90.30 key short-term pivotal support for a potential push up towards US$93.80 and a clearance above it sees the next intermediate resistance coming in at US$95.80. On the other hand, failure to hold at the US$90.30 key support invalidates the minor bullish breakout scenario for another round of corrective pull-back to expose the next intermediate support zone of US$88.90/US$88.06.  

What does the price of gold depend on? At first glance, the answer is simple—it depends on the cost of money. The lower central bank interest rates are, the cheaper they become. The more expensive the precious metal must be quoted. Conversely, in times of high interest rates, the XAU/USD pair should fall.   At the same time, gold is an anti-dollar. The dynamics of the USD index often determine where the precious metal will move. Unfortunately, in 2023, historical correlations were disrupted, and only the September meeting of the Federal Reserve returned everything to its usual state. Looking at how gold maintains stability in the face of rising real yields on U.S. Treasury bonds, investors involuntarily asked themselves why. Real yields are the cost of money. In a world of expensive money, precious metals should not feel comfortable. Dynamics of gold and real yields of U.S. Treasury bonds.     The same can be said for the dollar. It pleasantly surprised its fans, marking a 10-week winning streak amid the strength of the U.S. economy and the Federal Reserve's reluctance to allow a dovish pivot. Speculators en masse closed short positions on the U.S. currency, and the expectation of a government shutdown only fueled demand for it as a safe haven. Nevertheless, gold ignored the extremely unfavorable external background until the end of September, which allowed for bullish forecasts. After all, if an asset doesn't go where it is expected to, it's more likely to go in the opposite direction. According to Macquarie, the precious metal can rise to $2100 per ounce if U.S. Treasury bond yields and the U.S. dollar decline. If you receive good news in adverse conditions, XAU/USD is capable of marking a swift rally.   Dynamics of gold and the U.S. dollar   To the disappointment of gold enthusiasts, positive news is not coming in. Investors are gradually getting used to the idea that high interest rates are here to stay for a long time. The cost of money has sharply increased and will remain so for an extended period. The precious metal loses its shine and begins to do what it should—fall. In my opinion, the reasons for the stability of XAU/USD should be sought in China. Currently, premiums for bars in Shanghai exceed prices in London and New York by more than $100 per ounce. Gold in China costs more than $2000. The People's Bank of China started this process by avidly buying precious metals as part of the de-dollarization process. Then consumers picked up the baton. Due to the real estate market crisis, the weakening of the yuan, and strict capital controls, the population is buying gold.     Unfortunately, intermarket connections will sooner or later make themselves felt. The strengthening of the dollar and the rise in the real yields of U.S. Treasury bonds pushed XAU/USD below 1900. Technically, on the daily chart, gold has the formation of a Shark pattern at 5-0. The target level at 161.8%, according to the latest model, is $1825 per ounce. Breaking support at $1895 will allow for the formation of short positions.  

Details of the Economic Calendar on September 26 European Central Bank Chief Economist Philip Lane announced a shift in monetary policy towards a more accommodative stance but also presented forecasts indicating the possibility of the first interest rate cut as early as the second quarter of next year. Furthermore, the refinancing rate could be reduced by 150 basis points over the next two years. Based on this information, the euro accelerated its decline, and as a result, the British pound also shifted towards active weakening.   Analysis of Trading Charts from September 26 The EUR/USD currency pair concluded its pullback with a new surge in the volume of short positions. As a result, the local low of the downward cycle was updated, and the technical signal of oversold euro remains in the market. On the other hand, the GBP/USD pair, during its inertial movement, does not respond to technical signals of oversold conditions. As a result, the exchange rate fell below the level of 1.2150, indicating significant speculative interest in short positions. Economic Calendar for September 27 Today, the publication of data on durable goods orders in the United States is expected, with expectations of a decrease of 1.4% in the volume of these orders. This should be considered in light of the previous month when they fell by 5.2%. Thus, this will be the second consecutive month of declining orders for durable goods. Durable goods orders reflect the state of consumer activity, which is a driver of economic growth. If the data confirms a decline in orders, this could put pressure on the dollar in the market.     EUR/USD Trading Plan for September 27 Based on the oversold signal for the euro exchange rate, it can be assumed that the support level at 1.0500 may play as support. In this case, there is a scenario of slowing down the current downward cycle within this level, which could lead to an increase in the volume of long-term positions, potentially resulting in a partial recovery of the euro exchange rate. However, if speculators ignore the technical oversold signal and the exchange rate remains below the level of 1.0500 during the day, this could support the momentum in the euro market for some time.   GBP/USD Trading Plan for September 27 If the inertial movement continues in the market, and traders continue to ignore the technical oversold signal for the British pound, further depreciation of the exchange rate towards the psychological level of 1.1950/1.2050 is possible. What's on the charts The candlestick chart type is white and black graphic rectangles with lines above and below. With a detailed analysis of each individual candle, you can see its characteristics relative to a particular time frame: opening price, closing price, intraday high and low. Horizontal levels are price coordinates, relative to which a price may stop or reverse its trajectory. In the market, these levels are called support and resistance. Circles and rectangles are highlighted examples where the price reversed in history. This color highlighting indicates horizontal lines that may put pressure on the asset's price in the future. The up/down arrows are landmarks of the possible price direction in the future.    

The AUD/USD pair is stuck in the 0.6380-0.6450 range. In general, the current fundamental background allows bulls to expect new price gains, if not for one "but" – the greenback. The US dollar's position is quite strong, and this serves as an obstacle to the development of an upward movement. However, AUD/USD bears are also unable to take advantage of the greenback's strength: as soon as the pair declines into the 63-figure area, sellers take profits, thus impeding the bearish momentum.   In other words, the pair is in a deadlock situation. To develop an upward movement, buyers need to overcome the level of 0.6450 (the Tenkan-sen line on the daily chart), and in order to restore the downtrend, sellers need to push through the support level of 0.6370 (the lower Bollinger Bands line on the same timeframe). Both are challenging tasks, given the current fundamental picture. Traders need a strong informational impetus that will push the pair out of the range – either to the south or to the north. The Federal Reserve's hawkish stance is on the greenback's side. The results of the latest Fed meeting supported the US currency. The central bank updated its dot plot, indicating that it intends to raise interest rates once again by the end of this year, either at the November or December meeting.   Fed Chair Jerome Powell confirmed these intentions, citing the high level of inflation. However, Powell tied future central bank decisions to the dynamics of key inflation indicators. This is why the core Personal Consumption Expenditures Price Index, which will be published on Friday (September 29), may trigger strong volatility among dollar pairs. According to preliminary forecasts, this crucial inflation indicator is expected to decrease to 3.9% YoY, which is the lowest value since September 2021. In such a case, the dollar bulls may come under pressure because the likelihood of a rate hike in November will significantly decrease (at the moment, this probability is around 30%, according to the CME FedWatch Tool). Conversely, if the index starts to gain momentum and goes against forecasts, hawkish expectations regarding the Fed's future course of actions will increase. Take note that inflation could provide support to the aussie. In this case, we're talking about the Australian Consumer Price Index.   The inflation data for August will be published on Wednesday. The market forecast was for a 5.2% increase in the reported period. If the release comes in at least at the forecasted level (not to mention the "green zone"), the Australian dollar could receive significant support. The key point here is that the CPI has been consistently declining for the past three months, reaching 4.9% in July. If the CPI grows, it will be a "warning sign" for the Reserve Bank of Australia.   It's important to recall the main points from the recently published minutes of the RBA's September meeting. The text mentioned that the Board considered two scenarios: 1) a 25-basis-point rate hike; 2) keeping the rate unchanged. In the end, the majority of the RBA officials agreed with the arguments in favor of maintaining the status quo. However, simultaneously, the central bank emphasized that "some further tightening may be required" in the future if inflation proves to be "more persistent than expected." Clearly, the August CPI will be viewed by the market in terms of a potential RBA reaction. If the gauge exceeds expectations, buyers of AUD/USD will have an informational catalyst for an upward movement.     Do recall that the recent Australian labor data was also in favor of the aussie. Unemployment in August remained at the July level (i.e., at 3.7%), despite forecasts of an increase to 3.9%. The employment figure also grew significantly, reflecting an increase of almost 65,000, while the forecast was for an increase of only 26,000. The labor force participation rate increased to 67.0%, which is the highest result in the history of these observations. In addition, Australia's GDP data, which was published in early September, also supported the aussie, although the report was somewhat contradictory.   The country's GDP increased by 2.1% year-on-year in the second quarter. On one hand, this figure shows a downtrend (the result for the first quarter was 2.4%, and for the fourth quarter of 2022, it was 2.6%). On the other hand, experts had forecasted a weaker result for the second quarter, around 1.8% year-on-year. Therefore, the Australian dollar may emerge in the near future.   If Australia's inflation report comes out in the "green zone" (or at least in line with forecasts), and the report on the core PCE index comes out in the "red zone" (or at least in line with forecasts), buyers of AUD/USD may not only test the resistance level at 0.6450 (the Tenkan-sen line on the daily chart) but also approach the next price barrier at 0.6500 (the upper line of the Bollinger Bands indicator on the same timeframe). So, all eyes are on inflation!  

  Black line- horizontal support Blue lines- Fibonacci retracement levels Green lines- Fibonacci extension targets   Following our past analysis on MSFT stock price we remain bearish seeing the vulnerability in price come to life as the stock price falls towards the August lows. Around the $310 price level we find the 38% Fibonacci retracement and the black horizontal trend line. Both provide key support for the stock price. A break below this support area is very possible. Such a break will open the way for a bigger decline towards $291, where we find the 50% Fibonacci retracement, and the $285 price level where we find the 100% Fibonacci extension target. If bulls manage to respect support at $310, then we could see price bounce towards the $329 resistance area.  

  Red lines- bearish channel Yellow rectangle- expected bottom area Blue line- expected direction   EURUSD is trading around 1.0560. Short-term trend remains bearish as price continues forming lower lows and lower highs. Price remains inside the red downward sloping channel since the July top. In the daily chart the RSI has just entered oversold levels. In the near term we start seeing bullish divergence signs. We expect EURUSD to bottom around 1.0550-1.0450 and then start a new upward wave. For now bears remain in full control of the trend. So far there is no sign of a reversal.  

  Red lines- bearish channel blue lines- Fibonacci retracement levels Gold price is trading below $1,900. Recently price got rejected at the upper channel boundary showing new signs of weakness. Price has now formed a new lower low as it moves lower towards the August lows around $1,884. Gold price remains vulnerable to more downside. Our next downside target is around $1,850-60 area. Daily trend remains bearish as price continues forming lower highs and lower lows. A new low below $1,884 is very possible to be seen this week. Nevertheless, at this point in time, we do not see much more downside potential in Gold. Traders should be getting ready for reversal signals.  

US and European equity futures trade mixed following Tuesday's US technology stocks led weakness after consumer confidence dropped to a four-month low and the expectations index fell below a level that in the past has signaled an incoming recession. The S&P 500 dropped to a June low as the Fed’s higher for long message drove US 10-year yields to a fresh 16-year high while the Dollar index reached a fresh year-to-date high. Overnight equities in Hong Kong gained with those on the mainland cooling after sharp gains earlier as China reported improved industrial profits Crude oil prices remain elevated adding to inflation concerns while gold trades soft near $1900. The Saxo Quick Take is a short, distilled opinion on financial markets with references to key news and events. Equities: The relentless rise in long-end US Treasury yields saw selling accelerate across US stocks on Tuesday with the S&P 500 dropping 1.5% to hit the lowest level since June 7. Technology stocks, which led the rally earlier this year, has been challenged all month on concerns the Fed’s higher for longer message is starting to hurt consumer confidence. A message that was strengthened after the Consumer Expectations Index declined below 80, the level that historically signals a recession within the next year. The S&P 500 will be looking for support around 4,200, the 50% correction of the March to July rally and the 200-day moving average. FX: The DXY dollar index broke higher to fresh YTD highs, having taken out the 105.80 resistance, as long-end Treasury yields continued to rise. Data remained soft, helping keep the short-end yields capped but Fed member Kashkari, who is usually a dove, noted he puts a 40% probability on a scenario where Fed will have to raise rates significantly higher to beat inflation and a 60% probability of a soft landing. USDCAD rose to 1.3528 while GBPUSD slid below 1.2150 and next target at 1.20. EURUSD plunged further to lows of 1.0556 while USDJPY is hovering close to the 150-mark as verbal jawboning continues to have little effect. Commodities: Crude oil remains rangebound with tight market conditions, as seen through the highest premium for near-term barrels in more than a year, being offset by a stronger dollar and the general risk-off tone. API inventory data showed a crude build of 1.6m barrels vs expectations of a 1.7m drop. Gold trades below $1900 on continued dollar and yield strength with focus on $1885 support while China property market concerns sees copper traded near a four-month low. Meanwhile in agriculture, El Nino has been confirmed, and it could be a strong one, potentially impacting food inflation from rising risks of droughts in Southeast Asia, Australia and Brazil-Columbia. Fixed Income. The Federal Reserve’s higher-for-longer message reverberates through higher long-term US Treasury yields. Unless there is a sign that the job market is weakening significantly, or that the economy is slowing down quickly, long-term yields will continue to soar. With 10-year yields breaking above 4.5% and selling pressure continuing to mount through an increase in coupon supply, quantitative tightening and less foreign investors demand, it’s not unlikely to see yields to continue to rise towards 5% until something breaks. This week, our attention turns to US PCE numbers and Europe CPI data and US Treasury auctions. Yesterday’s 2-year notes auction received good demand while offering the highest auction yield for that tenor since 2006. Yet, our focus is on the belly of the yield curve with the Treasury selling 5- and 7-year notes today and tomorrow. If demand is poor, it might mean that the yield curve is poised to bear-steepen further. Overall, we continue to favour short-term maturities and quality. Volatility: The CBOE Volatility Index jumped 2 on Tuesday to close at 18.94%, a four-month high after the underlying SPX index lost 1.5% to settle at the lowest level since June Macro: US consumer confidence fell for a second consecutive month to 103.0 from 108.7 (upwardly revised from 106.1) and beneath the expected 105.5. Present Situation Index marginally rose to 147.1 (prev. 146.7), while the Expectations Index declined further to 73.7 (prev. 83.3), falling back below 80 - the level that historically signals a recession within the next year. Inflation expectations for the 12 months ahead were unchanged at 5.7% in September. New home sales in the US fell 8.7% to 675k from 739k (upwardly revised from 714k), shy of the consensus 700k. Fed's Kashkari has published an essay where he says there is a 60% chance of a soft landing with a 40% chance the Fed will have to hike 'significantly higher'. In the news: FTC Sues Amazon, Alleging Illegal Online-Marketplace Monopoly (WSJ), Foreign brands including Tesla to face scrutiny as part of EU probe into China car subsidies (FT), Senate leaders agree on a short-term spending bill, aiming to avert a shutdown, extending government funding until November 17, pending House approval (CNN). What ‘peak oil’ will mean for China (FT), Americans finally start to feel the sting from the Fed’s rate hikes (WSJ), Exclusive: German economic institutes forecast 0.6% GDP contraction this year – sources (Reuters) Technical analysis: S&P 500 downtrend support at 4,200. Nasdaq 100 support at 14,254. DAX downtrend support at 14,933. EURUSD downtrend support at 1.05. GBPUSD below support at 1.2175, oversold, next support 1.2012. USDJPY uptrend stretched but could reach 150. Gold bearish could drop to 1,870. Brent and WTI Crude oil resuming uptrend. US 10-year T-yields uptrend expect minor correction Macro events: US Durable Goods Orders (Aug) est –0.5% vs –5.2% prior (1230 GMT), Feds Kashkari Speaks on CNBC (1200 GMT), EIA’s Weekly Crude and Fuel Stock Report (1430 GMT)

The Commodities Feed: It's all about the yields The ‘higher-for-longer’ narrative for rates is pressuring the commodities complex, while the accompanying USD strength is adding further pressure.   Energy - Steady OPEC output The oil market struggled yesterday. ICE Brent settled a little more than 1.6% lower on the day as rising treasury yields and USD strength proved to be too much of an obstacle for the market. Technically, the Brent December contract still needs to fill the gap left following the November contract expiry on Friday. If that happens, it would take the front-month contract back above US$95/bbl. Preliminary OPEC production data for September is starting to come through. The Bloomberg survey showed that output increased by 50Mbbls/d MoM to 27.97MMbbls/d. Nigeria showed the largest increase over the month. Their supply grew by 60Mbbls/d, while Iran saw a marginal pullback in output of 50Mbbls/d. Output is likely to remain relatively steady over October. Further out, the market will be focused on any sign that Saudi Arabia is starting to unwind its voluntary additional supply cuts. There was a bit more noise yesterday around the resumption of Northern Iraqi oil flows through the Ceyhan pipeline. Turkey has said that flows could resume this week. However Iraqi officials have thrown cold water on the idea, saying that there are still some issues that need to be resolved before this can happen. The pipeline can carry almost 500Mbbls/d of crude oil from the Kurdish region to the Ceyhan export terminal. Flows were suspended back in March after the Iraqi government won an international arbitration ruling, stating that these flows were occurring without approval from the Iraqi government Metals - Gold plunges to seven-month low Gold plunged to its lowest level since March yesterday - edging closer to US$1,800/oz, as treasury yields continued to move higher and the USD also strengthened.  The higher-for-longer narrative has been putting significant pressure on gold, which is leading to a significant reduction in investment appetite reflected by the large declines in gold ETF holdings in recent months. Fed policy will remain key to the outlook for gold prices in the months ahead.

EUR/USD Friday's US labor data for September surpassed expectations. Nonfarm payrolls increased by 336,000 for the month, better than the consensus estimate for 170,000, and the change for August was revised up by 40,000. The unemployment remained unchanged at 3.8%, and a broader measure of unemployment dropped to 7.0% from 7.1% in August. The initial market reaction was quite natural, with the dollar rising and the euro losing 80 pips. However, the dollar was sold off across a wide range of markets, including stock markets and commodities. As a result, the dollar index closed the day down by 0.26%, the S&P 500 rose 1.18%, and oil increased by 0.61% (WTI).   The market's counteraction to strong data is certainly a compelling argument in favor of further (although not quite prolonged) euro growth. From a technical standpoint, we saw a rebound from the point of intersection of the price channel line and support level of 1.0483, afterwards the quote exceeded the Fibonacci retracement level at 1.0578. The Marlin oscillator has moved into bullish territory. Now, after breaking through the nearest resistance level at 1.0613, we are waiting for the price to reach the target level of 1.0687 and maybe even 1.0777.   On the 4-hour chart, the price has settled above 1.0578. The morning gap that occurred due to the Hamas attack on Israel will soon be closed. The price is growing above the indicator lines. The Marlin oscillator has firmly strengthened in the bullish territory. We expect the euro to rise further.  

GBP/USD Amidst a general increase in risk appetite and a weak US dollar, the British pound gained 73 pips, surpassing the resistance of the nearest embedded price channel line. On the daily chart, the Marlin oscillator has entered the uptrend territory.     The price currently has the potential to rise toward a strong level around 1.2444, where linear resistances converge with the MACD indicator line. Levels 1.2307 and 1.2367 serve as intermediate ones.   On the 4-hour chart, the price has stayed above the MACD line, and the Marlin oscillator is approaching the border of the bullish territory. However, until it overcomes this mark, the price may start a sideways trend in the short-term, appearing as a form of consolidation before the pair grows further. The price channel line at 1.2170 (daily) acts as support for this consolidation. If the price settles below this level, it may create problems for the bulls, and there is a possibility of the price falling even further to 1.2070.    

Analysis of transactions and tips for trading GBP/USD Further growth became limited because the first test of 1.2176 coincided with the sharp rise of the MACD line from zero. As for its second test, it occurred when the MACD line went into the overbought area, providing a signal to sell. This resulted in a price decrease of over 20 pips. The remarks of Bank of England member Huw Pill did not help pound rally, unlike the soft statements from Fed representatives, which led to an upward movement in the pair towards the end of the US session. However, the price remained within the sideways channel, so sellers have a good chance of returning the market to its lower boundary today. Waiting for data on the UK's unemployment rate and speech by Bank of England member Swati Dhingra.     For long positions: Buy when pound hits 1.2190 (green line on the chart) and take profit at the price of 1.2229 (thicker green line on the chart). Growth will occur after the breakdown of the upper boundary of the sideways channel. However, when buying, the MACD line should be above zero or just starts to rise from it. Pound can also be bought after two consecutive price tests of 1.2157, but the MACD line should be in the oversold area as only by that will the market reverse to 1.2190 and 1.2229. For short positions: Sell when pound reaches 1.2157 (red line on the chart) and take profit at the price of 1.2113. Pressure will increase since the chances of a decline seem much higher than those of a breakout. However, when selling, the MACD line should be below zero or drops down from it. Pound can also be sold after two consecutive price tests of 1.2190, but the MACD line should be in the overbought area as only by that will the market reverse to 1.2157 and 1.2113.   What's on the chart: Thin green line - entry price at which you can buy GBP/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 GBP/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.  

Analysis of transactions and tips for trading EUR/USD Further growth became limited because the test of 1.0554 coincided with the sharp upward move of the MACD line from zero. After a short period of time, another test took place, but the MACD line went in the overbought area, leading to a signal to sell. This resulted in a price decrease of over 30 pips. The European Central Bank kept interest rates unchanged, announcing a softer approach to future monetary policy based on data that will be received in the future. However, they also did not rule out the possibility of another rate hike, similar to the Federal Reserve. Strong US GDP data for the third quarter did not particularly help dollar. And most likely, today, the empty macroeconomic calendar will give euro bulls the chance for an upward correction.     For long positions: Buy when euro hits 1.0582 (green line on the chart) and take profit at the price of 1.0604. Growth will occur as part of an upward correction, following the update of the weekly low. However, when buying, make sure that the MACD line lies above zero or rising from it. Euro can also be bought after two consecutive price tests of 1.0562, but the MACD line should be in the oversold area as only by that will the market reverse to 1.0582 and 1.0604. For short positions: Sell when euro reaches 1.0562 (red line on the chart) and take profit at the price of 1.0531. Pressure will increase in the event of a breakdown of the important support level of 1.0562, which will lead to a continuation of yesterday's bearish trend. However, when selling, make sure that the MACD line lies under zero or drops down from it. Euro can also be sold after two consecutive price tests of 1.0582, but the MACD line should be in the overbought area as only by that will the market reverse to 1.0562 and 1.0531.  

The currency pair EUR/USD showed absolutely no movements on Thursday—no reaction to important events. In our previous articles, we've already mentioned that people can have different opinions about what happened yesterday. On one hand, it's not uncommon to see meetings where no significant decisions are made, but the pair starts moving in different directions afterward. On the other hand, there were no significant decisions made yesterday, and Christine Lagarde's rhetoric was maximally bland and uninteresting. Therefore, the market had nothing to react to, and it all seems logical. However, this week, there is very little logic in the pair's movements. On Monday and Tuesday, there were movements of such strength that it feels like the ECB meeting actually happened on Monday, not on Thursday. In other words, the market considered business activity indices much more important than the ECB meeting and the US GDP report. The technical picture over the past day, of course, has not changed. How could it change when there were essentially no movements? The price is once again below the moving average, but that doesn't stop it from resuming its rise today and forming a third corrective wave. The fact that we didn't see further depreciation of the pair on strong statistics from across the ocean could indicate the market's mood for a new corrective wave. However, we want to note that the current area where the pair is located is quite dangerous for traders. Both buy and sell signals are forming in this area. The pair seems like it should be falling, but it may correct a bit more. On the 24-hour time frame, the price is "dancing" around the important level of 1.0609 and the critical line. On the 4-hour time frame, it crosses the moving average about once a day. All of this just confuses traders. The ECB didn't evoke any emotions in the market. In principle, there was no intrigue regarding the ECB meeting.     Market participants were 100% sure that the key rate wouldn't change, and therefore, the other two rates wouldn't change either. Expecting strong statements from Christine Lagarde, who spoke twice this week, was very difficult. What could Lagarde say? "We are tightening monetary policy again!"? Or "We are lowering the key rate!"? Neither the first nor the second option had anything to do with reality. In the end, Ms. Lagarde stated that "rate cuts were not discussed at the meeting," and in the future, rate decisions will be made based on incoming information. The ECB will continue to closely monitor GDP, inflation, and core inflation indicators and regularly assess the impact of current monetary measures on the economy. In essence, we didn't hear anything new. The market already knew all of Lagarde's statements by heart. And the statement about not considering rate cuts sounds like mockery. How can there be any easing when inflation exceeds the target level by more than double? As for the market's reaction, it could have provided insights into how the market perceives the received information. However, the reaction was practically non-existent, so we can't draw any conclusions here either. We believe that the strengthening of the dollar will continue in the medium term, especially after yesterday's strong package of statistics from across the ocean. We believe that the Federal Reserve has a much better chance and real opportunities to raise rates one or two more times than the ECB. Perhaps the market is not yet ready to resume selling the pair, and it may require one or even two more correction cycles, but we don't even consider the scenario of a new upward trend at the moment. We expect the dollar to rise to 1.0200. Read more: https://www.instaforex.eu/forex_analysis/358692

Analysis of transactions and tips for trading EUR/USD Further decline became limited because the test of 1.0681 coincided with the sharp downward move of the MACD line from zero. This happened even though several Fed representatives hinted at the possible continuation of the rate hike cycle and the lesser chance of a reduction in borrowing costs. Today, CPI data for Germany and retail sales report for the eurozone will come out, but it will not have much impact on the market. Instead, the speech of ECB Executive Board member Philip Lane will generate interest, as well as the speech of Fed Chairman Jerome Powell.     For long positions: Buy when euro hits 1.0700 (green line on the chart) and take profit at the price of 1.0730. Growth will occur after protecting the support at 1.0680. However, when buying, make sure that the MACD line lies above zero or rises from it. Euro can also be bought after two consecutive price tests of 1.0681, but the MACD line should be in the oversold area as only by that will the market reverse to 1.0700 and 1.0730. For short positions: Sell when euro reaches 1.0681 (red line on the chart) and take profit at the price of 1.0656. Pressure will increase after an unsuccessful attempt to hit the daily high, as well as weak data from the eurozone. However, when selling, make sure that the MACD line lies under zero or drops down from it. Euro can also be sold after two consecutive price tests of 1.0700, but the MACD line should be in the overbought area as only by that will the market reverse to 1.0681 and 1.0656.     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.

In the FX  The US dollar jumped to its 50-DMA as a response to a rapid surge in the US Treasury yields. The EURUSD sank below the 1.07 level. From a technical perspective, the early week rally remained capped below a major Fibonacci level, the 38.2% retracement on summer to October selloff near the 1.0760. The EURUSD remains in a bearish trend after the failure to clear an important technical resistance. Unideal political news from Spain and Portugal, and a morose economic outlook for the Eurozone will likely keep the euro in retreat against the US dollar. Even though the European Central Bank (ECB) officials cry out loud that the rates will stay high for long in the Eurozone as well, it sounds much less credible when economic data doesn't give sufficient support.   In the UK, the Bank of England (BoE) wants to look tough and convince investors that it's too early to talk about rate cuts. But Cable's latest surge remained capped below the 200-DMA, and the pair is back to 1.22. The medium-term outlook for Cable remains neutral to bearish. Another surge in the dollar appetite will easily send the pair to 1.20 psychological level.   The dollar-yen is back to misery, above 151. Traders want to buy the USDJPY, but they also know that the Japanese authorities are tempted to intervene to prevent the Japanese yen from getting shattered just because the Bank of Japan (BoJ) can't keep up with the rest of the major global central bank policies. Japanese are happy to see inflation emerge after decades of deflation. Perhaps, the view of China – and Chinese deflation – doesn't make them want to move any faster.  In energy, the oil bulls come in timidly near the $75pb psychological support. The oil selloff probably went too far and it's time for – at least – a minor positive correction. A move toward the $78/80 range would be reasonable. This area includes the 200-DMA and the minor 23.6% Fibonacci retracement on September to November selloff.   Today is Friday. Fears of escalating geopolitical tensions could help strengthen the $75 support in US crude. But regarding that topic, the biggest fear of oil traders in Gaza was the implication of Iran in the war, which would then lead to another embargo on the Iranian oil, decrease the global supply and send prices higher. Now, the new market narrative is that, even if the Iranian oil gets banned, it doesn't matter because first, the Iranian shipments have been falling due to weaker Asian demand and two, 90% of the Iranian shipments go to China anyway, and China doesn't care about the Iranian oil ban, they will continue buying it. And oh, there is also the fact that the US shale production hit a record high of 13.2mbpd. Together with the rising worries of slower global demand, the above-stated factors should ensure that a potential rebound in oil prices doesn't extend easily above the $78/80 range.   

GBP/USD Yesterday, the British pound failed to overcome the resistance of the MACD indicator line (red arrow) and, turning away from it, closed the day with a loss of 62 points. Now the price is aiming for the lower line of the price channel around 1.2130. Overcoming the support opens the target level of 1.2070 – the average low of October 26, 2023 and May 18, 2020. Today, the UK is expected to release weak data; GDP for the 3rd quarter may show a decrease of 0.1% (0.5% YoY against 0.6% YoY earlier), industrial output for September is expected to contract by 0.5%, industrial production for the same month is forecasted to decrease by 0.1%. On the 4-hour chart, the price has overcome the support of the MACD line, and the Marlin oscillator is decreasing in the downtrend territory. The pair has a great potential to move down.  

EUR/USD On Thursday, the euro tried to break lower. However, just like its previous efforts, it was stopped by the MACD indicator line on the daily chart. Today it opened below the descending green channel line, increasing the risk of the price settling below this mark.   If today's closing candle remains black, the next week will likely be dedicated to moving towards the magnetic point at 1.0488. If it closes with a white candle, the upward movement could resume and the price could move towards the Fibonacci level at 1.0763, with the goal of advancing to 1.0834.   The Marlin oscillator is decreasing and is currently working in favor of the bears. There is also speculation that, amid ongoing disagreements in the US Congress regarding next year's budget, another temporary government funding bill may be passed, which weakens the pressure on the dollar.     On the 4-hour chart, the price stopped falling at the MACD line. The reversal pattern from the indicator line of different timeframes significantly increases the chances of a price reversal. Conversely, a synchronous breakthrough of the line on such timeframes will strengthen subsequent declines. However, the Marlin oscillator is in a suppressed state here as well, which slightly increases the bears' chances. We'll have to wait for the situation to unfold.  

Analyzing Thursday's trades: GBP/USD on 30M chart   On Thursday, GBP/USD showed a more interesting, and most importantly, a downward movement. While the euro remained mostly stagnant throughout the day, the pound resumed its decline, as we have warned before. We expect the dollar to rise and the pound to fall, as the bullish correction that has been developing in the last month may have finally come to an end. Therefore, in the near future, we expect the pair to fall to the previous week's lows, located near the level of 1.2107. As for the fundamentals and macroeconomics, the only interesting event was Federal Reserve Jerome Powell's speech. He said that the key rate may rise again if the situation requires it. He also noted that the inflation target of 2% remains unchanged, but the central bank is currently taking a more cautious position, trying to find a balance between overly tight and overly loose monetary policy. His words can be interpreted as "moderately hawkish," which could contribute to the US dollar's strength in the second half of the day.   On the 5-minute chart, many trading signals were generated. The pair showed volatility of almost 100 pips, but throughout the day, it repeatedly changed direction, working through all available levels from all sides. Therefore, although we saw a good amount of movement, it is not necessarily good for traders. The first two signals brought profit to beginners, but just a small profit of about 20 pips. Then there were two false signals near the level of 1.2270, but you couldn't even set a stop loss to breakeven. All subsequent signals, considering the nature of the pair's movement, should not have been executed. Trading tips on Friday: On the 30-minute chart, we had been anticipating a proper upward correction cycle for the GBP/USD pair for quite some time, and it has finally materialized. However, at this point, it seems that this correction is already coming to an end. If that's the case, we expect the downtrend to resume. The pair has breached the 1.2270 mark, so the downtrend will likely follow. The key levels on the 5M chart are 1.1992-1.2010, 1.2052, 1.2089-1.2107, 1.2164-1.2179, 1.2235, 1.2270, 1.2310, 1.2372-1.2394, 1.2457-1.2488, 1.2544, 1.2605-1.2620, 1.2653, 1.2688. Once the price moves 20 pips in the right direction after opening a trade, you can set the stop-loss at breakeven. On Friday, a couple of reports will be released in the UK. We can highlight the quarterly GDP and industrial production in September. It's not certain that the market will find these reports interesting, but it's still something. In the US, we can look to the secondary consumer sentiment index. Basic trading rules: 1) Signal strength is determined by the time taken for its formation (either a bounce or level breach). A shorter formation time indicates a stronger signal. 2) If two or more trades around a certain level are initiated based on false signals, subsequent signals from that level should be disregarded. 3) In a flat market, any currency pair can produce multiple false signals or none at all. In any case, the flat trend is not the best condition for trading. 4) Trading activities are confined between the onset of the European session and mid-way through the U.S. session, after which all open trades should be manually closed. 5) On the 30-minute timeframe, trades based on MACD signals are only advisable amidst substantial volatility and an established trend, confirmed either by a trendline or trend channel. 6) If two levels lie closely together (ranging from 5 to 15 pips apart), they should be considered as a support or resistance zone.   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 represent channels or trend lines, depicting the current market trend and indicating the preferable trading direction. The MACD(14,22,3) indicator, encompassing both the histogram and signal line, acts as an auxiliary tool and can also be used as a signal source. Significant speeches and reports (always noted in the news calendar) can profoundly influence the price dynamics. Hence, trading during their release calls for heightened caution. It may be reasonable to exit the market to prevent abrupt price reversals against the prevailing trend. Beginners should always remember that not every trade will yield profit. Establishing a clear strategy coupled with sound money management is the cornerstone of sustained trading success.      

EUR/USD   Higher Timeframes The past day has been bearish, but significant changes have not occurred as the pair continues to remain within the range of the previous days, forming consolidation. Today, we close the working week, and the result is of interest. If the bears manage to create a clear bearish sentiment in the weekly candlestick pattern, the euro's tasks will be aimed at breaking through the level of 1.0614 (weekly short-term trend + monthly medium-term trend) and eliminating the daily Ichimoku cross (1.0652 – 1.0638 – 1.0620 – 1.0588). For the bulls, the current situation still faces weekly resistances at 1.0733 – 1.0766.     H4 – H1 On the lower timeframes, the bears managed to break below key levels towards the end of yesterday. Currently, this position is maintained, and strengthening their positions will be possible through the continuation of the current decline and gaining support from classic pivot points (1.0644 – 1.0620 – 1.0579). The key levels today are holding defense around 1.0685 – 1.0701 (central pivot point + weekly long-term trend). Consolidation above and a reversal of the movement could bring activity back into the market, favoring the bulls. Additional intraday bullish targets include 1.0709 – 1.0750 – 1.0774 (resistances of classic pivot points).     Higher Timeframes Bears successfully advanced yesterday and are close to closing the current week with a bearish candlestick combination, forming a rebound when testing important weekly levels (1.2268 – 1.2292). A weekly rebound and the elimination of the daily Ichimoku cross (1.2205) will draw attention to breaking the support of the monthly medium-term trend (1.2093) and the recovery of the weekly downward trend (1.2036).       H4 – H1 On the lower timeframes, the bulls lost key levels yesterday, shifting the main advantage to the bears. To develop the decline, intraday targets today may be the supports of classic pivot points (1.2184 – 1.2151 – 1.2089). The key levels currently act as resistances and are located at 1.2246 (central pivot point of the day) and 1.2301 (weekly long-term trend). Consolidation above could change the current balance of power. The next targets for the recovery of bullish positions within the day will be 1.2341 and 1.2374 (resistances of classic pivot points).

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Analysis of transactions and tips for trading GBP/USD The test of 1.2449 took place when the MACD line moved downward from zero, prompting a signal to sell. This resulted in a price decrease of over 50 pips. The sharp decline in UK inflation led to a sell-off in pound in the morning. Then, it intensified after the release of strong retail sales data from the US. The empty macroeconomic calendar today will give pound the chance of continuing its decline in line with yesterday's trend. Meanwhile, the speech of Bank of England MPC member Swati Dhingra will not have much impact to the market.     For long positions: Buy when pound hits 1.2402 (green line on the chart) and take profit at the price of 1.2449 (thicker green line on the chart). Growth will occur as long as the daily low remains protected. When buying, ensure that the MACD line lies above zero or just starts to rise from it. Pound can also be bought after two consecutive price tests of 1.2385, but the MACD line should be in the oversold area as only by that will the market reverse to 1.2402 and 1.2449. For short positions: Sell when pound reaches 1.2385 (red line on the chart) and take profit at the price of 1.2337. Pressure will continue until trading goes below today's high. When selling, ensure that the MACD line lies below zero or drops down from it. Pound can also be sold after two consecutive price tests of 1.2402,, but the MACD line should be in the overbought area as only by that will the market reverse to 1.2385 and 1.2337.     What's on the chart: Thin green line - entry price at which you can buy GBP/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 GBP/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.  

EUR/USD: Yesterday, the euro experienced a slight correction and took a breather after rallying on Tuesday. The price did not drop below the support level of 1.0834, and this morning it is trying to rise above the price channel line (1.0850). If it consolidates above it, the next target will be 1.0937/46 with an intermediate level of 1.0905. One notable aspect of the substantial rally on Tuesday is that it occurred on average volumes. This implies that the stop-losses of major sellers were not closed; they are even higher. Two possible scenarios could unfold: a deep correction might occur either from the accumulation of these stop-losses or after their closure, leading to another powerful upward movement. In any case, we expect the price to reach the target level of 1.1096. The signal line of the Marlin oscillator has turned downward from the upper band of its own ascending channel. Here, too, there could be two scenarios: the line is working on the lower band of the channel, which can affect the price in expanding the consolidation, potentially down to the Fibonacci retracement lower ray (1.0777), or the line from the current levels turns upwards with a retest of the upper band of the channel, or it breaks above into the overbought territory (likely testing 1.0937/46).   On the 4-hour chart, it appears as if the upward movement will persist since there were only candle shadows in the support range. The Marlin oscillator has already fallen low enough, releasing tension; it is ready to rise further. We will find out whether the price consolidates above resistance or below support.

EUR/USD   Higher Timeframes The encounter with the zone 1.0862–1.0868, which merged several strong resistances, did not go unnoticed. As a result, yesterday, we observed a slowdown and some bearish activity. The upcoming days will determine the outcome of the encounter. Bearish activity and a decline will draw the market's attention to the supports accumulated at 1.0756-1.0766 (weekly and daily levels), while overcoming 1.0862-68 will pave the way to the final resistance of the weekly death cross (1.0960) and the daily target for breaking through the Ichimoku cloud (1.1004-1.1065).     H4 - H1 On the lower timeframes, there is a corrective decline, but bulls maintain a general advantage. At the moment, the reference points for the resumption of the ascent could be 1.0855-1.0879-1.0910-1.0934 (classic pivot points). Strengthening bearish sentiments today may occur through breaking the supports at 1.0824-1.0800-1.0769 (classic pivot points). To change the current advantage to the bears' side, it is necessary to break and reverse the moving average—the weekly long-term trend, which, in the current situation, is at 1.0745.   Higher Timeframes As of yesterday, the pound can boast more impressive results than the euro. The market failed to overcome the accumulation of strong resistances, such as the weekly Fibonacci Kijun (1.2458), the monthly short-term trend (1.2471), and the monthly Fibonacci Kijun (1.2505). If bears continue to recover their positions, there is a broad support zone on this part of the market, consisting of levels from various timeframes and located at 1.2346-1.2325-1.2287-1.2248-1.2231.     H4 - H1 Bulls failed to update the previous day's high and continue the ascent, while the opponent, developing the decline, has now consolidated below the central pivot point of the day (1.2437). The continuation of the descent now lies through testing and breaking the supports at 1.2376-1.2341 (classic pivot points). A shift in the main advantage and the current sentiment is possible after testing, overcoming, and reversing the weekly long-term trend (1.2315). *  

Industrial output in the eurozone fell more than expected, as total production dropped 1.1% on month in September, while forecasts were for output to be down 0.8% on month. However, this report did not lead to any noticeable movements in the foreign exchange market. Investors were clearly waiting for US data, the forecasts for which also carried a negative tone, as they intended to extend the dollar selloff. However, the annual trend in retail sales slowed from 4.1% y/y in September to 2.5% y/y in October, whereas a slowdown from 3.8% to 2.1% was expected. So not only were the actual reports better, but the previous results were also revised for the better. Afterwards, a full-fledged rebound started, and the dollar was able to improve its position. The only thing we can highlight for today is the initial jobless claims in the United States. The total number is expected to increase by 8,000. The changes are extremely insignificant and are unlikely to have a serious impact on the current situation. Considering that the rebound is not yet complete, we expect the dollar to gradually rise further.   The EUR/USD pair has entered a retracement phase due to the high overbought levels. The level of 1.0900 acts as resistance, and we observed a decline in the volume of long positions near this area. On the four-hour chart, the RSI downwardly crossed the 70 line. This technical signal indicates that the euro's overbought conditions have started to ease, given that a retracement phase is being formed. On the same time frame, the Alligator's MAs are headed upwards. The signal corresponds to the upward cycle, ignoring the ongoing retracement. Outlook The ongoing retracement persists, which is why traders are considering a scenario with the pair moving towards the level of 1.0800. The succeeding movement will depend on the price's behavior near this level—whether sellers can keep the quotes below it or if the level will act as support. The complex indicator analysis points to the retracement phase in the short-term and intraday periods.  

On the hourly chart, the GBP/USD pair reversed in favor of the US currency on Wednesday, consolidating below the corrective level of 38.2% (1.2477). However, this closure has not given bears anything, as today, the pair has returned to the zone between 1.2477 and 1.2513. If a rebound occurs from this zone, there is a high probability that the quote decline will resume toward the corrective level of 23.6% (1.2321). Closing above this zone will allow traders to expect a resumption of growth towards the Fibonacci level of 50.0% (1.2603).     The wave situation has become simpler and clearer. Waves still have a relatively large size, which adds inconvenience to trading. However, the trend is currently "bullish," and a breakthrough of the last low at 1.2372 is required to complete it. In this case, there will be signs of the pair transitioning to a "bearish" trend, which is more logical after a fairly strong rise. However, at the moment, the "bullish" trend persists, and bears cannot firmly establish themselves on the hard-won positions.   Late Tuesday evening in the US, the minutes of the last FOMC meeting were released. The report stated that the regulator would continue to make decisions based on incoming information. FOMC members almost unanimously agreed that tightening monetary policy should only continue in the case of unsatisfactory inflation dynamics. Not all policymakers are confident in a sufficiently restrictive policy to return inflation to 2%. None of the FOMC members voted for an increase or decrease in the interest rate. Thus, the Fed has again "left the door open" but has not provided any signals about future decisions. Inflation in the US decreased in October, which may further weaken the "hawkish" sentiment.   On the 4-hour chart, the pair reversed in favor of the pound and a new consolidation above the level of 1.2450. Thus, the growth process can be continued toward the next level at 1.2620. The upward trend corridor characterizes traders' sentiment as "bullish," and the "bullish" divergence on the CCI indicator warns of a possible continuation of the rise. Commitments of Traders (COT) Report:   The sentiment of the "Non-commercial" trader category for the last report is slightly less "bearish." The number of long contracts in the hands of speculators decreased by 6180 units, and the number of short contracts decreased by 10299 units. The overall sentiment of major players has long changed to "bearish," between the number of long and short contracts, the gap is increasing, but now in the opposite direction: 57 thousand versus 74 thousand. There are still excellent prospects for the pound to continue falling. I do not expect a strong rise in the pound soon. Over time, bulls will continue to get rid of buy positions, as is the case with the European currency. The growth we have seen in recent weeks is corrective. News Calendar for the US and the UK: UK - Manufacturing Purchasing Managers' Index (PMI) (09:30 UTC). UK - Services Purchasing Managers' Index (PMI) (09:30 UTC). On Thursday, the economic events calendar contains only two fairly interesting entries. The impact of the information background on market sentiment today may be weak. Forecast for GBP/USD and Trader Tips: I recommend selling the pound this week on a rebound from the zone of 1.2477– 1.2513 on the hourly chart with a target of 1.2321. Or on a rebound from the level of 1.2603. I advised buying the pair on a consolidation above the level of 1.2513 with targets of 1.2603 and 1.2620, but such deals look excessively risky to me. They should be closed at the first sign of doubt.

USD/JPY: Amid the corrective rise of the last two days, the price reached the resistance of the MACD indicator line. This morning, the USD/JPY pair is falling. The Marlin oscillator, which is in the negative territory, has turned down.     For the oscillator, the last few days' upward movement has relieved tension on the way to the oversold area. Now it can resume the downward movement. The price will probably try to overcome Tuesday's low of 147.17. The target will be 145.08. The support at 148.18 is intermediate.     On the 4-hour chart, the price turned down as it approached the balance and MACD indicator lines. This emphasizes the corrective nature of the upward movement. The signal line of the Marlin oscillator turned down while in the uptrend territory. Soon it will return to the downtrend area. The nearest target is 148.18.    

New Zealand retail sales expected to decline by 0.8% US markets closed for Thanksgiving The New Zealand dollar is in positive territory on Thursday. Early in the North American session, NZD/USD is trading at 0.6042, up 0.34%. Will New Zealand retail sales continue declining? Retail sales are a key gauge of consumer spending and the New Zealand consumer has been holding tightly to the purse strings. In the second quarter, retail sales fell 1% q/q, with most retail industries showing lower sales volumes. This marked a third consecutive losing quarter. The markets are bracing for another decline for Q3, with a consensus estimate of -0.8%. The soft retail sales data isn’t really surprising as consumers are being squeezed by high inflation and elevated borrowing costs. The decrease in household purchasing power has meant a decline in spending. High interest rates are still filtering through the economy, which could further dampen consumer spending in the fourth quarter. The Reserve Bank of New Zealand has put a pause on rates for three straight times, which has naturally raised speculation that the central bank has completed its tightening cycle, which has brought the cash rate to 5.5%. Inflation in the third quarter eased from 6.0% to 5.6% y/y in the third quarter and this decline means that there is a strong likelihood that the RBNZ will hold rates at the November 27th meeting. US markets are closed for the Thanksgiving holiday, which means we’re unlikely to see much movement today with the US dollar. That could change on Friday, with the release of US manufacturing and services PMIs. The consensus estimates for November stand at 49.8 for manufacturing (Oct: 50.0) and 50.4 for services (Oct. 49.8). If either of the PMIs miss expectations, that could translate into volatility from the US dollar.   NZD/USD Technical NZD/USD is putting pressure on resistance at 0.6076. The resistance line 0.6161 There is support at 0.5996 and 0.5885    

German, Eurozone PMIs accelerate The euro is trading slightly higher on Thursday. In the European session, EUR/USD is trading at 1.0917, up 0.27%. German PMIs accelerate but still in decline German PMIs were released earlier today, presenting a cup-half-full-half-empty picture. Let’s start with the good news. German Manufacturing PMI hit a six-month high and the Services PMI a two-month high and both beat the forecasts. However, both manufacturing and services remain in contraction, as the eurozone’s largest economy continues to sputter. The Manufacturing PMI rose to 42.3 in November (Oct: 40.8) and beat the consensus estimate of 41.2. Services PMI climbed to 48.7 in November (Oct: 41.2) and edged above the market consensus of 48.5. Manufacturing has been in decline since June 2022 and services has posted four declines. The downturn in the struggling German economy has eased a bit and that bit of positive news has given the euro a slight boost today.  The eurozone PMIs also showed a slight improvement but remain in contraction territory. The soft PMIs suggest that growth in Germany and the eurozone will likely continue to slow, and that could mean disappointing GDP prints for the fourth quarter. Germany’s economy is expected to contract by 0.3% in 2023, while the eurozone is expected to grow by 0.6%. Germany, which not too long ago was a global economic powerhouse, is looking more like the sick man of Europe. US markets are closed for Thanksgiving, which means we’re unlikely to see much movement with the US dollar. That could change on Friday, with the release of US manufacturing and services PMIs. The consensus estimates for November stand at 49.8 for manufacturing (Oct: 50.0) and 50.4 for services (Oct. 49.8). An unexpected reading from either PMI could shake up the US dollar.   EUR/USD Technical EUR/USD is testing resistance at 1.0888. Above, there is resistance at 1.0943 1.0831 and 1.0784 are providing support    

Recent price actions of the Nikkei 225 are still trading above its 20-day moving average despite the latest official downbeat assessment of Japan’s economy. Significant correlation flip between USD/JPY and Nikkei 225 may persist as a weaker JPY may not be a main driver to drive up the price actions of Nikkei 225. A strengthening JPY may see the outperformance of consumer-oriented TOPIX equities sectors such as Retail Sales and IT & Services. A new medium-term uptrend may have kickstarted in Nikkei 225, watch the 32,090 key medium-term support. Japan’s government on this Wednesday, 22 November downgraded its assessment for the first time in ten months, citing economic growth in Japan has recovered moderately but appeared to be pausing due to weak domestic demand. The benchmark Nikkei 225 has continued to trade above its upward-sloping 20-day moving average since the start of this month, November, and rallied by +11% from its key swing low area of 30,530 printed on 4 and 24 October 2024. The latest official downbeat economic assessment has not derailed the current bullish tone of the Nikkei 225 as it has managed to remain above the “gapped up” support of 32,820 formed on last Wednesday, 15 November; the effect in a global risk-on herding behaviour reinforced by the softer than expected US CPI print for October that was released on last Tuesday, 14 November (current level of Nikkei 225 is at 33,452 as of 22 November).   Significant correlation flip between Nikkei 225 & USD/JPY   Fig 1: Correlation trends between Nikkei 225, USD/JPY & S&P 500 as of 22 Nov 2023 (Source: TradingView, click to enlarge chart) Interestingly, the previous long-term traditional high direct correlation between the movements of the Nikkei and USD/JPY has broken down based on its latest 20-day rolling correlation coefficient reading of -0.15. From a fundamental standpoint, a persistently weaker JPY (where the JPY has depreciated by as much as 15.9% against the US dollar since the start of 2023) is likely to have a more detrimental effect now on Japan’s economy due to the risk of higher imported inflation which in turn drives up imported energy costs for resources-scare Japan. Moreover, oil prices are likely to remain sticky on the upside in the medium term as OPEC+ leading member, Saudi Arabia seems to be still in favour of extending current oil supply cuts into 2024. Therefore, a stronger JPY is much needed for Japan at this juncture to negate the risk of elevated imported inflation that can dent business and consumer confidence which in turn dampens internal domestic spending. Hence, this latest narrative explains the current “correlation flip” between USD/JPY and Nikkei 225.   Consumer-oriented TOPIX equities sectors may benefit from a stronger JPY   Fig 2: 1-month rolling performance of the 17 TOPIX sectors as of 22 Nov 2023 (Source: TradingView, click to enlarge chart)   In the past week, the JPY has started to strengthen against the US dollar driven by more of an increasing expectation of a dovish tilt from the US Federal Reserve rather than a hawkish Bank of Japan’s modus operandi. The JPY has been appreciated by as much as around +3% against the US dollar since last Monday, 13 November and it has started to translate to an uptick in bullish sentiment seen in the Japanese equities sectors that are tied to business and consumer confidence and domestic spending. Based on the one-month rolling performance of the 17 TOPIX sectors as of 22 November 2023, Retail Trade (+7.59%) and IT & Services (+7.13%) have started to show outperformance against the broader TOPIX index (+5.98%).   Potential start of new medium-term uptrend for Nikkei 225   Fig 3: Nikkei 225 medium-term trend as of 22 Nov 2023 (Source: TradingView, click to enlarge chart) In the lens of technical analysis, the recent bullish momentum seen in the Japanese stock market is likely to trigger the potential start of a medium-term (multi-week to multi-month) uptrend phase in the Nikkei 225 after the -9.5% corrective decline seen from 16 June to 24 October 2023. The current price action of the Nikkei 225 as of 22 November is retesting a 33-year swing high of 33,770 after an initial pull-back seen on Monday to Tuesday. Meanwhile, the daily RSI momentum indicator has continued to exhibit positive momentum readings after its earlier bullish momentum breakout and retest on 7 November 2023. If the 32,090 key medium-term pivotal support holds, a clearance above 33,770 is likely to see the next medium-term resistance coming in at 36,600. However, a break below 32,090 sees another round of corrective decline to retest the 200-day moving average that also confluences closely with swing low areas of 4/24 October 2023, acting as a support at 30,530.    

Fed policymakers encouraged by recent data but won’t get complacent BoE interest rate expectations barely changed after UK Autumn Statement GBPUSD reverses near key resistance The two big events of the last 24 hours haven’t really packed the punch they occasionally can which perhaps explains why we aren’t seeing big moves today.   Fed determined to “proceed carefully” The FOMC minutes were arguably slightly on the dovish side, with the committee now seemingly of the view that no further hikes will be needed, with the language instead focusing on the need to proceed carefully. While we probably will still hear more of the higher for longer mantra from policymakers in public ahead of the December meeting, it’s clear now that the FOMC is pleased with the recent progress it’s seen and as long as it doesn’t go into reverse, rate hikes are a thing of the past. The question now is how long before the rate-cutting conversations begin. Markets are pricing in the first reduction around June but I can’t imagine policymakers will acknowledge that possibility for some time. The late pivot still looks highly likely as the Fed seeks to avoid underestimating inflation again. Markets still pricing in a possible UK rate cut in June The UK Autumn Statement wasn’t a big market-moving event today and perhaps in the current environment, that’s a good thing. Given the speculation in recent days around what measures Chancellor Jeremy Hunt would announce due to the additional fiscal headroom and proximity to the election, there have been some concerns that measures could run counter to the Bank of England’s goal of getting inflation back to 2%. The fact that the pound was fairly steady during today’s event and markets are still pricing in a 50% chance of a rate cut by June suggests investors are not concerned about any inflationary implications on the back of today’s announcements.   GBPUSD pulls back near key resistance The pair had rallied in recent weeks towards 1.26 which only recently had been a major technical level. GBPUSD Daily Source – OANDA on Trading View   Not only does it represent the 50% retracement of the move from the July highs to the October lows, but it coincides with the neckline from the head and shoulders it broke below in early September. Yesterday it was looking a little short of momentum which could be a red flag near such a potentially important technical level. It’s now rotated lower which doesn’t necessarily mean it’s failed and heading lower, but it may suggest the market views it as an important level.  

ECB financial stability review warns of stress Fed minutes point to rates remaining restrictive The euro is in negative territory on Wednesday. In the North American session, EUR/USD is trading at 1.0864, down 0.42%. ECB says banks showing stress The ECB released its semi-annual financial stability review earlier today and warned of stress in financial stability in the eurozone. The report found that tighter financial conditions were making it difficult for households, businesses and governments. In short, the financial stability outlook remains fragile. The review warned that the Israel-Hamas war posed the risk of affecting the supply of oil, which could push inflation higher and dampen growth. The economic picture in the eurozone is not encouraging, as the eurozone economy is stagnating and Germany, once a global powerhouse, has become a deadweight in the eurozone with its weak economy. The euro has jumped 2.8% against the US dollar in November, but that is more a case of US dollar weakness due to expectations of rate cuts in the US rather than strength in the euro. In the US, unemployment claims were lower than anticipated, coming in at 209 thousand. This was below the market consensus of 225,000 and the previous revised release of 233 thousand. The reading indicates that the labour market is still showing signs of strength, which supports the Federal Reserve’s rate policy of higher for lower. The Federal Reserve minutes of the November meeting stated that the Fed plans to proceed with caution and will be keeping an eye on the data in making future rate decisions. The minutes made no reference to any discussion at the meeting about rate cuts, consistent with Jerome Powell’s comments after the meeting that the Fed “is not thinking about rate cuts at all”. The markets would beg to disagree and have priced in a rate cut in mid-2024.   EUR/USD Technical There is resistance at 1.0951 and 1.1017 1.0831 and 1.0748 are providing support    

Warm weather spells trouble for Natural Gas US natural gas prices experienced a noticeable decline with NATGAS trading nearly 4% lower at the start of the week. This downturn can be attributed to the prevailing forecasts indicating a shift towards warmer weather in the United States in the coming days as the expectation of milder temperatures has cast a shadow on natural gas prices as it suggests a potential decrease in demand, particularly at the start of the heating season.    Projections for the next 8-14 days consistently point towards above-average temperatures spanning a more extensive geographic scope across the United States and this prediction of higher-than-average temperatures intensifies the downward pressure on natural gas prices.   Looking at the technical situation shows the persistence of a bearish trend since the end of October 2023.   This further reflects the delicate balance between weather forecasts, demand dynamics, and market trends, emphasizing the sensitivity of natural gas prices to external factors.   While this appears to be the current situation, a sudden shift towards a colder climate prediction could bring a significant rebound of prices in the near term.   

Bearish readings seen in the daily and hourly RSI momentum indicators have reinforced the weakening medium-term and short-term impulsive up moves of CHF/JPY. Watch the key short-term resistance at 169.65 for CHF/JPY. The major uptrend phase of the CHF/JPY has started to show signs of bullish exhaustion at this juncture which increases the risk of a multi-week corrective decline to retest its 50-day moving and the median line of a major ascending channel in place since 13 January 2023 low, acting at a support zone of 166.55/165.10.       Fig 1:  CHF/JPY major & medium-term trends as of 27 Nov 2023 (Source: TradingView, click to enlarge chart) The medium-term bullish momentum of CHF/JPY from the 3 October 2023 low of 160.00 has started to dissipate where the daily RSI momentum indicator has staged a recent bearish breakdown on 20 November and retested its former parallel support at the 60 level.     Watch the key short-term resistance at 169.65   Fig 2:  CHF/JPY minor short-term trend as of 27 Nov 2023 (Source: TradingView, click to enlarge chart)     In the shorter time frame as seen on the 1-hour chart, the price actions of CHF/JPY have started to oscillate within an impending minor descending channel from its recent all-time high print of 170.54 on 16 November 2023. Also, the hourly RSI momentum indicator has flashed out a bearish divergence condition at its overbought region. All in all, these observations have advocated the start of a potential multi-week corrective decline scenario for CHF/JPY. If the 169.65 key short-term pivotal resistance is not surpassed to the upside, the CHF/JPY cross pair may see a slide to retest the near-term support of 168.00 (also the 20-day moving average), and below it exposes the next intermediate supports at 166.55 and 165.90 next (also the 50-day moving average and the lower boundary of the minor descending channel). However, a clearance above 169.65 invalidates the bearish scenario for a retest on the 170.50 major resistance.   Fig

German GDP shrinks in Q3 US to release manufacturing and services PMIs The euro is almost unchanged on Friday. In the European session, EUR/USD is trading at 1.0903, down 0.03%. German economy declines German GDP posted a minor drop in the third quarter, coming in at -0.1% q/q. This was down slightly from -0.1% in the second quarter and matched the market consensus. On an annualized basis, GDP declined by 0.4%, down from a revised o.1% gain in Q2 and missing the market consensus of -0.3%. The consumer spending component of GDP decelerated in the third quarter and was a key driver of the decline in GDP. German consumers remain in a sour mood and are being squeezed by rising interest rates and a high inflation rate of 3.8%. The German business sector is also pessimistic about economic conditions. The Ifo Business Climate index managed to climb to 87.3 in November, up from 86.9 in October but below the market consensus of 87.5. A reading below 100 indicates that a majority of the companies surveyed expect business conditions to deteriorate in the next six months. Earlier this week, German services and manufacturing PMIs pointed came in below 50, which points to contraction. The manufacturing sector is particularly weak and has been in decline since June 2022. It has been a relatively light week for US releases, with markets back in action after the Thanksgiving holiday. Later today, the US releases manufacturing and services PMIs, with little change expected. Still, the markets will be watching carefully, as the data will provide insights into the strength of the US economy. The consensus estimates for November are 49.8 for manufacturing (Oct: 50.0) and 50.4 for services (Oct. 49.8). If the readings diverge significantly from the estimates, we could see some strong movement from the US dollar before the weekend.   EUR/USD Technical There is resistance at 1.0943 and 1.0997 1.0831 and 1.0748 are providing support  

AUD/USD lower on Monday RBA likely to maintain rates on Tuesday The Australian dollar has started the week in negative territory. In the European session, AUD/USD is trading at 0.6648, down 0.40%. The Australian dollar is coming off a strong week, with gains of 1.38%. RBA expected to hold rates The Reserve Bank of Australia is expected to hold rates at 4.35% at its Tuesday rate meeting. The central bank has paused for four straight months and the markets don’t expect any further hikes. Still, the RBA could send a hawkish message along with the pause to dampen speculation about a rate hike in 2024, with inflation still high at 4.9%, which is well above the 2% target. Powell sends mixed message, dollar slumps Federal Reserve chair Jerome Powell spoke on Friday, and his split message sent the US dollar sharply lower against most of the majors, including the Australian dollar which jumped 1.06%. Powell noted that monetary policy is “well into restrictive territory” and that inflation is “moving in the right direction”. The markets interpreted these remarks as signals that the Fed is done with rate tightening. Although Powell warned that it was premature to assume that the Fed had achieved a “sufficiently restrictive stance”, investors viewed the remarks as dovish and the US dollar fell sharply.   The futures markets have priced in a rate cut in March at 59% and in May at 87%, according to the CME FedWatch tool. The Fed clearly doesn’t share this stance, as most Fed members who spoke last week supported the case for holding rates at current levels for some time. This disconnect between the Fed and the markets is likely to continue as the Fed is unlikely to discuss rate cuts while inflation remains above the 2% target. The markets are looking at a rate cut in late 2024, but a lot could happen until then. If the economy cools more quickly than expected, the RBA would have to give thought to cutting rates in order to boost growth.   AUD/USD Technical AUD/USD tested support at 0.6639 earlier. Below, there is support at 0.6603 0.6712 and 0.6748 are the next resistance lines

OPEC+ unofficially agree to 2.2 million barrel per day cut Full compliance with cuts already looks unlikely Brent continues to consolidate near recent lows Oil prices remain quite volatile but more importantly, not too far from their recent lows after traders judged yesterday’s announcement from OPEC+ with some skepticism. The lack of an official announcement, with details gradually appearing from individual member states indicated there’s no firm commitment to the 2.2 million barrel per day cut. And Angola insisting straight after it won’t comply further solidified that view. Saudi Arabia will be hoping that others will, in the main comply, after it committed to extending its one million barrel cut until the end of March, while Russia increased its export reduction from 300,000 to 500,000. But it seems traders either aren’t buying that members will be compliant or don’t view it as being sufficient. Or, of course, that the lack of formal commitment hints at fractures within the alliance which could impact its ability to hit its targets, let alone cut further if necessary. If Brent breaks below its November lows, it will be perfectly clear what markets think of the deal.   rent was testing a big area of resistance ahead of the OPEC+ announcement but has since headed lower creating a very interesting setup. Brent Crude Daily Source – OANDA on Trading View An imperfect inverse head and shoulders appears to be forming with the neckline around the 200/233-day simple moving average band (red). It was also an important area of support over the last few months. A move below the recent lows around $77 though would be a very bearish development, especially against the backdrop of the OPEC+ deal.

This article goes over different tools and indicators covering EURCAD, in some cases, cross-pairs can provide trade setups of a different nature as the US Dollar is partially taken out of the equation. Trading in financial markets requires an overview of different types of tools and the same applies to forex trading. Talking points Inflation Rate Overview – European Union and Canada Daily Chart Technical analysis Sentiment Indicators: Commitment of Traders report, and OANDA’s order book. Relative Rotation Graph Inflation Rate Overview – European Union and Canada   Source: Bloomberg Terminal   Inflation Rates globally are declining faster than expected and as global Central banks continue to tread carefully, traders continue to speculate on Central banks’ moves and are sometimes overwhelmed by conflicting central bankers’ comments or analyst’s opinions. Many Market participants are convinced that the recent decline in inflation suggests that Central banks should consider rate cuts, but Central banks still have concerns about inflation returning in any form. The latest CPI report from the EU shows inflation continues to decline reaching 2.4%, close to The European Central Bank (ECB) target of 2%. The current CPI may suggest that the ECB can hold interest rates at its current level but doesn’t warrant any rate cuts. ECB Nagel commented this morning that “Inflation risks are skewed to the upside”. The next CPI release is scheduled for December 19th, 2023, please check the economic calendar and your local time. In Canada, it’s a slightly different story, although the inflation rate is also declining the same as it is globally, it is declining at a slower pace than the EU. The inflation rate currently stands at 3.1%, down from its highs of 8.0% seen in June 2022. Daily Chart Technical analysis   Source: Tradingview.com   EURCAD price broke and closed below an intermediate trendline identified on the above daily timeframe chart, with no pullback to retest the broken level so far. The broken level was also a confluence of Support represented by 3 commonly used Moving average periods, EMA9, MA,9, MA21, and the monthly pivot point at 1.4800 Applying the weekly Stochastic indicator onto the Daily timeframe to smooth the readings suggests that EURCAD may be overbought and shows that %K just crossed below %D along with the break below the intermediate trendline mentioned above. Applying Daily RSI with its default period of 14 shows that RSI is so far in line with price action, however, it is currently neutral near level 50. MACD line crossed below its signal line and the Histogram is also turning bearish.       Sentiment Indicators: Commitment of Traders report, and OANDA’s order book Source: Tradingview.com   The Commitment of Traders report offers insights about positioning changes in the futures market, although delayed, it still helps as a sentiment tool in a trader’s arsenal. Comparing Position levels on the latest COT report shows that Large Speculators on both currencies are favoring long positions, however, it also suggests that the Canadian Dollar is closer to its extreme than the Euro, thus a higher probability of Sentiment change. The above chart is for EURUSD and USDCAD side by side with the COT report applied to both. (COT for Canadian Dollar is inverted, CADUSD) OANDA’s Orderbook Indicator   Source: OANDA.com   Another sentiment tool is the OANDA Orderbook Indicator, the above image reflects an aggregate view of pending entry orders on EURCAD for OANDA’s clients, the data falls under the Retail Traders category. The above image suggests that Retail traders are looking to buy as the price falls and sell as it rises, this is the typical retail trader sentiment and needs to be thought of carefully as Retail Traders can sometimes be in the opposite direction in trendy markets. The order book also reflects price levels that have the highest number of pending orders, these levels can be critical as the price continues to move regardless of direction. It is also important to note that the order book percentages include exit orders such as Stops and limits, we can continue to follow up on position percentage changes. Relative Rotation Graph   Source: Optuma.com   The Relative Rotation graph RRG (A measurement for Momentum and Relative strength) on the daily time frame shows EURUSD, GBPUSD, AUDUSD, and NZDUSD are currently in the Leading Quadrant, with EURUSD leading the pack and CADUSD attempting to catch up from the Improving quadrant. The arrow direction for all pairs except CAD is so far pointing south towards the weakening quadrant.  

Canada’s job growth expected to expand by 15,000 US ISM Manufacturing PMI projected to accelerate to 47.6 The Canadian dollar continues to gain ground against a slumping US dollar. In the European session, USD/CAD is trading at 1.3529, down 0.23%. The Canadian currency is poised to post a third straight winning week against the greenback and soared 2.25% in November. It is a busy Friday, with Canada releasing the employment report, the US publishing the ISM Manufacturing PMI and Fed Chair Powell speaking at an event in Atlanta. Canada’s labour market has softened but remains in good shape and has shown expansion for three straight months. The economy is expected to have added 15,000 jobs in November, slightly lower than the 17,500 reading in October. The market consensus for the unemployment rate stands at 5.8%, compared to 5.7% in October. Canada’s GDP posts negative growth This week’s GDP report was another reminder that the economy remains weak. Third-quarter GDP declined by 0.3% q/q, below the revised o.3% gain in Q2 and the first decline since the second quarter of 2021. High interest rates have cooled the economy and exports were down in the third quarter as global demand remains weak. On an annualized basis, GDP slid 1.1% in the third quarter, compared to a revised 1.4% gain in Q2 and shy of the market consensus of 0.2%. The US wraps up the week with the ISM Manufacturing PMI. The manufacturing sector has been in a prolonged slump and the PMI has indicated contraction for twelve consecutive months. The PMI is expected to improve to 47.6 in November, compared to 46.7 in October. A reading below 50 indicates contraction.   Investors will be listening closely to Jerome Powell’s remarks today, looking for hints about upcoming rate decisions. Powell has stuck to his script of a ‘higher for longer’ rate policy, but the markets have priced in a rate cut in May at 84%. . USD/CAD Technical USD/CAD tested resistance at 1.3564 in the Asian session. Above, there is resistance at 1.3665 1.3494 and 1.3434 are providing support    

The day has come By Ipek Ozkardeskaya, Senior Analyst | Swissquote Bank   Yesterday was finally the day that most FX traders have been waiting for since at least a year: the day where the Bank of Japan (BoJ) gave a hint that it will finally exit its negative interest rate policy. Precisely, the BoJ Governor said, after his meeting with the Japanese PM - that handling of monetary policy would get tougher from the end of the year. Indeed, the BoJ is buying a spectacular quantity of JGBs to keep the YCC intact at absurdly low levels compared with where the rest of the developed markets yields are following an almost 2-year long of aggressive monetary policy tightening campaign. At its highest this year – after the BoJ relaxed the rules on its YCC policy – the 10-year JGB flirted with the 1% mark, whereas the 10-year yield German bund yield hit 3%, the 10-year British gilt yield advanced to 4.70% and the US 10-year yield hit 5%. Certainly, inflation in Japan lagged significantly behind inflation in Western peers, yet inflation in the US is now exactly where inflation in Japan is: near 3%.   The BoJ's negative rate is the last souvenir of the zero/negative rate era and any small hint that things will get moving over there could move oceans. And this is what happened yesterday. The speculation that the BoJ will hike rates as soon as this month spiked to 45% soon after Mr. Ueda's words reached investors ears. The 10-year JGB yield spiked to 0.80% from around 0.62% reached earlier this week in parallel with the falling DM yields. The USDJPY fell from 147 to 141 in a single move, and the pair is consolidating gains a touch below 144 this morning, as traders argue whether a December normalization is too soon or not. Fundamentally it is not: in all cases, the BoJ will start normalizing policy two years after the Bank of England (BoE) hiked its rate for the first time after a long period. And the BoJ will be normalizing its rates when all major central banks plateau their tightening policy and when investors are out guessing when the normalization – toward the other direction – will begin. So no, fundamentally, it is not too early for the BoJ to start hiking its policy rate. But it would be a sudden move – that's for sure!   The Day of Anticipation: BoJ's Hint at Exiting Negative Rates Sparks Market Reaction"In any case, it is more likely than not that the fortunes of the Japanese yen turned for good this week. In the short run, consolidation is the immediate answer to yesterday's kneejerk rally – which took the USDJPY immediately into the oversold market conditions as the move was also amplified with many traders covering their short positions. But from here, yen traders will be looking to sell the tops rather than to buy to dips. A sustainable move below 142.60 – the major 38.2% Fibonacci retracement on this year's bullish trend – will confirm a return to the bearish consolidation zone, then the pair will likely take out the next major technical supports: the 200-DMA near 142.30, the next psychological support at 140 and should gently head back to – at least around 127 – where it started the year. But these forecasts will hold only, and if only, the BoJ doesn't make a sudden U-turn on its normalization plans. Remember, the BoJ didn't say it would normalize. It just said that it will be hard to handle the actual policy for longer. If one were to imagine, Governor Ueda maybe spent last night looking at the ceiling and wondering 'what have I said!'. Funny thing is, the BoJ's rate normalization speculation comes a few hours before the country revealed a 2% fall in its GDP; obviously, the global policy tightening has been hard on the world economy, and Japan can't avoid the global slowdown winds. If it turns out, Japan might normalize its monetary policy when its economy begins to slow down.    

UK wage growth eases to 7.3%, lower than expected US inflation expected to fall to 3.0% The British pound is drifting on Tuesday. In the European session, GBP/USD is trading at 1.2551, down 0.04%. UK wage growth falls to 7.3% Tuesday’s UK employment report was notable for the decline in wage growth. Earnings excluding bonuses rose 7.3% in the three months to October, down from 7.8% in the three months to September. This was lower than the consensus estimate of 7.4%. Wage growth is an important driver of inflation and the decline is an encouraging sign for the Bank of England. Still, earnings are rising much faster than inflation, which suggests that the BoE won’t be cutting interest rates anytime soon. Inflation has fallen to 4.6%, but this is more than double the Bank’s target of 2%. The BoE will announce its latest rate decision on Thursday and is widely expected to hold the cash rate at 5.25%. Governor Bailey has warned that rates could remain in restrictive territory for an extended period, but the markets are marching to a dovish tune and have priced in three rate cuts in 2024. Bailey has come out against expectations about rate cuts and we could see the BoE push back against rate cut speculation at the Thursday meeting. US inflation expected to ease to 3.0% The US releases November CPI later today, with a consensus estimate of 3.0% y/y, compared to 3.2% in October. Monthly, CPI is expected to remain flat, unchanged from October. Core CPI, which has been running higher than the headline rate, is projected to remain unchanged at 4.0% y/y. Monthly, the core rate is expected to inch higher to 0.3%, up from 0.2% in October. The Fed is widely expected to hold rates at a range of 5%-5.25% at the Wednesday meeting, but the inflation release could be a key factor as to what the Fed does in the upcoming months. There is a major disconnect between the markets, which have priced in four rate cuts in 2024, and the Fed, which is insisting that the door remains open to further hikes. A strong inflation report could chill market expectations for rate hikes, while a soft inflation release will provide support for the market stance and could force the Fed to reconsider its hawkish position.. GBP/USD Technical There is resistance at 1.2592 and 1.2682 1.2484 and 1.2369 are the next support levels      

Short-term RSI momentum indicator has flashed out bullish exhaustion condition after 6 consecutive weekly positive closes. At the risk of minor corrective decline sequence below 16,910 key short-term resistance. Intermediate supports rest at 16,590 and 16,440. This is a follow-up analysis of our prior report, “Germany 30 Technical: New intraday record high, short-term bullish trend intact” published on 6 December 2023. Click here for a recap. The Germany 30 Index (a proxy for the DAX futures) has managed to soar towards the 16,780/850 resistance zone as highlighted in our last analysis and printed a fresh all-time high of 16,829 yesterday, 12 December. Overall, the major uptrend phase from the October 2022 low of 11,795 remains intact with its major resistance zone at 17,780/18,170 (see Fig 1). Fig 1: Germany 30 long-term secular trend as of 12 Dec 2023 (Source: TradingView, click to enlarge chart) At risk of minor corrective decline after 6 consecutive weekly positive closes Fig 2: Germany 30 minor short-term trend as of 12 Dec 2023 (Source: TradingView, click to enlarge chart) In the shorter term, its medium-term uptrend phase in place since the 27 October 2023 low of 14,586 has reached overstretched conditions as it has recorded six consecutive weekly positive closes. In addition, current price actions have almost reached the upper boundary of the medium-term ascending channel with a bearish divergence condition being flashed out by its hourly RSI momentum indicator at its overbought region yesterday, 11 December. These observations suggest an increasing risk of an impending minor corrective decline sequence with 16,910 as a key short-term pivotal resistance and break down below 16,735 near-term support sees the next intermediate supports coming in at 16,590 and 16,440. However, a clearance above 16,910 negates the bearish tone to expose the next intermediate resistance at 17,100.

The 2-day rebound seen in USD/JPY has reached 146.20/70 minor resistance zone. The movement of USD/JPY in the past month has a significant direct correlation with the US 10-year Treasury/10-year JGB yield spread. The short-term to medium-term trends of the US 10-year Treasury/10-year JGB yield spread remain bearish. Watch the 146.70 key short-term resistance on USD/JPY. This is a follow-up analysis of our prior report, “USD/JPY Technical: Potential counter-trend rebound within medium-term downtrend” published on 8 December 2023. Click here for a recap. USD/JPY has rebounded and hit the short-term resistance zones of 144.80/145.30 and 146.20/70 as highlighted in our previous analysis reinforced by the better-than-expected US non-farm payrolls data for November and a media report released yesterday, 11 December that stated the Bank of Japan (BoJ) officials were in no rush to scrap short-term negative interest in the upcoming 18 to 19 December monetary policy meeting according to sources. This latest set of “BoJ’s monetary policy thought process” reported by the media contrasted with the hawkish remarks made by BoJ Governor Ueda and Deputy Governor Himino last week that increased market speculations that the decade-plus of short-term negative interest rate policy in Japan may be scrapped sooner than expected. The USD/JPY extended its gains from last Friday and rallied by +0.86% to print an intraday high of 146.59 as seen in yesterday’s 11 December US session on the backdrop of the media report. It’s all about the yield spread between the US 10-year Treasury & 10-year JGB Fig 1: Movement of USD/JPY and US 10-year Treasury/10-year JGB yield spread as of 12 Dec 2023 (Source: TradingView, click to enlarge chart) Interestingly, the movement of the USD/JPY in the past month has moved in sync with the yield spread of the US 10-year Treasury/10-year Japanese government bonds (JGB) which can be considered as an indirect summation net effect of monetary policy guidance from the Fed and BoJ. Their current 20-day rolling correlation coefficient is at 0.90 which suggests that the movement of the US 10-year Treasury/10-year JGB yield spread has a significant direct influence on the movement of the USD/JPY. If the US 10-year Treasury/10-year JGB yield spread compressed (inched downwards), the movement of the USD/JPY reflected a similar directional move on the downside and vice versus if the yield spread expanded to the upside. Overall, the short to medium-term trend phases of the US 10-year Treasury/10-year JGB yield spread is still bearish as it continues to trend below its downward sloping 13-day moving average. Hence, it may put further downside pressure on the USD/JPY. USD/JPY’s recent minor rally may have exhausted Fig 2: USD/JPY short-term minor trend as of 12 Dec 2023 (Source: TradingView, click to enlarge chart) The price actions of the USD/JPY have staged a bearish reaction after 2-day of counter-trend rebound at the 146.70 short-term pivotal resistance (former minor swing lows area of 4/5 December 2023 & 50% Fibonacci retracement of the prior minor downtrend phase from 13 November 2023 high to 7 December 2023 low). In addition, the hourly RSI momentum indicator has flashed out a bearish divergence condition at its overbought condition during yesterday’s US session which suggests that the bullish momentum of the 2-day rally is likely to be exhausted. Near-term support will be at 144.20 and a break below it exposes the next intermediate support zone of 142.20/141.60 (coincides with the 200-day moving average). On the flip side, a clearance above 146.70 sees a potential extension of the counter-trend rebound towards the medium-term resistance zone of 147.40/148.60 (coincides with the downward sloping 20 and 50-day moving averages).  

Australia releases consumer and business confidence on Tuesday The Australian dollar has posted slight losses in Monday trading. In the North American session, AUD/USD is trading at 0.6564, down 0.18%. The Aussie continues to show sharp swings and declined 1.50% last week. This snapped a three-week winning streak in which the Australian dollar surged 4.9% against its US counterpart. Australian dollar eyes consumer and business confidence Australia will release consumer and business confidence data on Tuesday. Consumer confidence fell sharply in November, as the Westpac Consumer Sentiment index declined 2.6% to 79.9, down from 82 in October. Consumers are deeply concerned about the rising cost of living and the possibility of further interest rate increases. The markets are expecting a rebound in December, with a forecast of 3.0%. The NAB Business Confidence index is expected to improve to -1 in November. The index came in at -2 in October, the first time it dropped into negative territory in four months. The zero level separates pessimism from optimism. Reserve Bank of Australia Governor Michele Bullock speaks at an event in Sydney on Tuesday and the markets will be looking for hints regarding future rate policy. The RBA held the cash rate at 4.35% at its meeting earlier this month and doesn’t meet again until February. This will give policy makers a chance to monitor the effect of elevated rates on the economy.   US nonfarm payrolls beats forecast Friday’s US nonfarm payrolls came in at 199 thousand in November, higher than the consensus estimate of 180,000 and the October gain of 150,000. Unemployment dropped from 3.9% to 3.7% and average hourly earnings rose to 0.4% m/m, up from 0.2% in October and above the market consensus of 0.3%. The strong data points to a resilient labour market despite signs that the economy is cooling down, and has reduced fears of recession. The markets are still expecting around four rate cuts in 2024, while the Fed is still talking about possible rate hikes. Tuesday’s inflation report will be closely watched by the markets, and if CPI is stronger than expected, the markets may have to tone down their expectations of a rate cut early in 2024.   AUD/USD Technical AUD/USD tested support at 0.6555 earlier. Below, there is support at 0.6523 0.6585 and 0.6613 are the next resistance lines  

Weak start for Europe ahead of German IFO - By Michael Hewson (Chief Market Analyst at CMC Markets UK)  After an unexpectedly dovish pivot from Fed chairman Jay Powell on Wednesday, European and US markets ended another positive week very much on a mixed note after New York Fed President John Williams pushed back on market expectations of a rate cut as early as March, saying it was premature to be even considering anything of that sort.   Williams was followed in his comments by Atlanta Fed President Raphael Bostic who delivered a similar line of thought, saying he expected rate cuts to begin in Q3 of 2024 if inflation falls as expected. With the Fed dots indicating that US policymakers saw rates back at 4.6% this appears to be more in line with the message the Fed had hoped to deliver on Wednesday, however markets decided to take Powell's press conference comments and run with them, getting out in front of their skis in doing so.   Given where the US economy is now it's surprising that the Fed are said to be to start to be thinking in terms of cutting rates simply because with the economy currently where it is, there is currently no need. With GDP at 5.2% in Q3, unemployment at 3.9%, and weekly jobless claims at just over 200k the risk of inflation reigniting is clearly still a concern for some policymakers.   That certainly doesn't appear to be the case in Europe where economic activity is stagnating at best and even now the ECB comes across as being reluctant to counter a rate cut, even though a reduction in borrowing costs is clearly needed, given that headline inflation is back within touching distance of its 2% target.   The same could be argued for the UK except wage growth is still trending well above 7%, while headline CPI is at 4.6%, though this could come down further in numbers due to be released on Wednesday.   As we look towards the final week before the Christmas break, trading activity is likely to be somewhat thin and choppy, and while we have seen record highs for the Dow, DAX and CAC 40 in the last week or so, we still remain some distance away from the 2021 record peaks of the Nasdaq 100 and S&P500.   As for the FTSE100 we're looking at yet another year of underperformance, after the record highs of mid-February, with the UK benchmark up by just over 1% year to date, with the FTSE250 not faring that much better.   Due to the relatively subdued nature of Friday's US finish, today's European market open looks set to be a slightly weaker one with the only data of note the latest German IFO Business survey for December. Given the weak nature of last week's PMI numbers it would be surprising to see a significant improvement on the November numbers when the current assessment improved slightly to 89.4.   The US dollar was one of the big losers last week driven lower by expectations that US rates have peaked and are on their way back down, with the Japanese yen one of the biggest gainers.   This shift in sentiment will no doubt be welcomed by the Bank of Japan and to some extent helps them out with respect to the weakness of the yen ahead of tomorrow's rate decision. There is now less incentive for them to think about altering their current policy settings, although they might hint at starting to execute some form of shift early next year.      EUR/USD – the rebound to 1.1010 last week didn't last long, unable to push through the November peaks at 1.1015/20. We still have support now back at the 200-day SMA at 1.0830. A break above 1.1030 has the potential to target the July peaks at 1.1275.   GBP/USD – broke briefly above the 1.2730 area, and the 61.8% retracement of the 1.3140/1.2035 down move, pushing up to 1.2795 before reversing. The bias remains for further gains while above the 200-day SMA at 1.2520. We also have support at the 1.2590 area.   EUR/GBP – slipped back from the 100-day SMA at 0.8640 last week, with support at the 0.8570/80 area. A move below 0.8580 targets 0.8520.   USD/JPY – slipped below the 200-day SMA at 142.50 last week, opening the prospect of a move towards 140.00. We now have resistance at 146.00 and while below that we could push towards 139.20.     FTSE100 is expected to open 7 points lower at 7,569   DAX is expected to open 15 points lower at 16,736   CAC40 is expected to open 3 points lower at 7,594

UK Services PMI accelerates, Manufacturing PMI declines Bailey’s dampens rate cut expectations The British pound is steady on Friday, after posting gains of 1.1% a day earlier. In the European session, GBP/USD is trading at 1.2767, up 0.03%. UK PMIs a mix British PMIs were a mixed bag in December. The Manufacturing PMI eased to 46.4, down from 47.2 and shy of market expectations of 47.5. Manufacturers are pessimistic as the UK economy is struggling and demand for UK exports has weakened. The services sector is in better shape, as the PMI rose to 50.9, up from 53.7 in November, which marked the strongest level of growth since May. Services providers continued to show optimism about business conditions, despite the squeeze from the cost of living and elevated borrowing costs. Bailey pushback sends sterling soaring It’s been a dramatic week, with central bank rate decisions in the spotlight. On Wednesday, Fed Chair Powell shifted his hawkish stance and projected that the Fed would trim rates three times in 2024. This sent the US dollar lower against the majors. The Bank of England took the opposite approach on Thursday in its decision to hold rates at 5.25%. Governor Bailey stuck to his script of “higher for longer”. Bailey acknowledged that inflation was moving in the right direction but said in his rate statement that “there is still some way to go” and kept the door open to further rate hikes to bring inflation back down to 2%. Bailey was crystal clear in comments to reporters after the meeting, reiterating that “it’s really too early to start speculating about cutting interest rates”.   There was no mistaking Bailey’s hawkish message and the pound responded with massive gains. Still, Bailey’s view was far from being unanimous, as the MPC vote was 6-3, with three members in support of raising rates. The markets are marching to their own tune and expect a flurry of rate cuts in 2024, despite Bailey’s pushback. The markets trimmed rate-cut bets following the BoE decision but have still priced in around 100 basis points in easing in 2024. Clearly, there is a deep disconnect between the markets and Bailey & Co. with regard to rate policy.     GBP/USD Technical There is resistance at 1.2835 and 1.2906 1.2727 and 1.2653 are providing support    

Analysis of transactions and tips for trading EUR/USD The test of 1.0948 took place at a time when the MACD line moved downward from zero, provoking a sell signal. As a result, the pair fell in price by more than 30 pips. Meanwhile, purchases on the rebound from 1.0917 did not bring much profit, as the pressure on the pair persisted. Weak business activity data in the eurozone's service and manufacturing sectors put pressure on euro in the morning, leading to a price decline. This continued in the afternoon, as similar indicators from the US caused a surge in dollar demand, resulting in further sell-offs in EUR/USD. Today, interesting data from Germany will come out, namely the IFO's indices on business climate, present situation, and economic expectations. Disappointing numbers will keep euro under pressure. Statements from ECB Executive Board members Isabel Schnabel and Philip Lane will also affect market sentiment.     For long positions: Buy when euro hits 1.0928 (green line on the chart) and take profit at the price of 1.0966. Growth will occur after strong data from the Eurozone and the firm position of the ECB. When buying, make sure that the MACD line lies above zero or rises from it. Euro can also be bought after two consecutive price tests of 1.0907, but the MACD line should be in the oversold area as only by that will the market reverse to 1.0928 and 1.0966. For short positions: Sell when euro reaches 1.0907 (red line on the chart) and take profit at the price of 1.0876. Pressure will return if indicators from Germany come out weaker than expected. When selling, make sure that the MACD line lies under zero or drops down from it. Euro can also be sold after two consecutive price tests of 1.0928, but the MACD line should be in the overbought area as only by that will the market reverse to 1.0907 and 1.0876. 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.

On Thursday, the EUR/USD pair continued its strong upward movement, reaching the Murray level "2/8" (1.0986) on Friday and bouncing off it. We expected the start of a downward correction (at least) on Thursday, but the outcomes of the ECB and Bank of England meetings influenced our plan.     The ECB and BoE took a rather hawkish stance on Thursday, triggering a new strengthening of the European currency and the pound. However, on Friday, with a weakened macroeconomic background and a complete absence of fundamentals, the pair showed volatility no less than on Wednesday and Thursday, but in the opposite direction. The correction we witnessed is not just regular; it can and should be the beginning of a prolonged decline. Of course, the pair can move in the opposite direction for quite some time, completely contradicting fundamentals, macroeconomics, and common sense. We have repeatedly listed all the reasons why the euro has no grounds to continue rising. Have we witnessed a two-month appreciation of the euro? This should be the end of it. This is if we talk about justified movement. If we talk about inertia, the euro can rise to $1.50 or even higher. Why is that impossible? The market can continue buying European currency for any reason, even if there is none because the market is made up of people. And people are not obliged to follow technicals, macroeconomics, or fundamentals. So, what we are warning about is that, in a more logical scenario, there is still a decline in the pair. This remains true despite Powell being less hawkish than desired and despite Lagarde's more hawkish stance than desired. Nothing changes because of that. Also, note that a "double top" pattern has formed on the euro at the moment, which is visible on almost any chart. Such a pattern is a sign of a trend reversal. Adding to this, there have been four entries into the overbought territory for the CCI indicator. What does this result in? It means that the euro has no other choice but to continue falling. Lane's speech is the most interesting event of the week in the EU. What can we expect next week? It can be said right away that all the most interesting things in December have already passed. The market is preparing for the Christmas and New Year holidays, so volatility may decrease again, although sharp emotional spikes and volatility are still possible in a "thin" market. In the EU, there will be a few important events next week. On Monday, the IFO Institute indices in Germany will be noteworthy. Business expectations, the current situation index, and the business climate index will be published. We do not consider these indices important, and the market's reaction to them may be extremely limited. On Tuesday, the EU will release the second, final assessment of inflation for November. We all understand that the second assessment rarely differs from the first, so traders are likely to have nothing to react to. On Wednesday, ECB Chief Economist Philip Lane will speak, but what can he tell the market after Christine Lagarde spoke first last week, and on Friday, both Holzmann and de Guindos spoke? Nothing is interesting in the events calendar in the EU and Germany on Thursday and Friday. It turns out that there will be no really important macroeconomic or fundamental events this week. Of course, there will be American events and reports, but even there, things are quite scarce. Therefore, we expect a correction against the rise on Wednesday and Thursday, as well as low volatility. The average volatility of the Euro/USD currency pair over the last 5 trading days as of December 17 is 97 points and is characterized as "high." Thus, we expect movement between levels 1.0797 and 1.0991 on Friday. The reversal of the Heiken Ashi indicator back upward will indicate a possible resumption of the upward movement. Nearest support levels: S1 - 1.0864 S2 - 1.0742 S3 - 1.0620 Nearest resistance levels: R1 - 1.0986 R2 - 1.1108 R3 - 1.1230 Trading recommendations: The EUR/USD pair has settled above the moving average line, but we do not believe that the rise can continue. The price perfectly reached the targets of 1.0974 and 1.0986, after which it began to fall. Buying the pair can be done on a bounce from the moving average, but we believe that a further decline is more likely. The new overbought condition of the CCI indicator indicates a much more probable decline. Short positions can be opened with a re-fixing below the moving average with a target of 1.0742. Explanations for the illustrations: Linear regression channels - help determine the current trend. If both are pointing in the same direction, the trend is strong. The moving average line (settings 20.0, smoothed) - determines the short-term trend and direction in which trading should currently be conducted. Murray levels - target levels for movements and corrections. Volatility levels (red lines) - the likely price channel in which the pair will spend the next day, based on current volatility indicators. CCI indicator - its entry into the overbought area (below -250) or the oversold area (above +250) indicates that a trend reversal in the opposite direction is approaching.  

Trend analysis EUR/USD may continue its upward movement this week, rising from the level of 1.0893 (closing price of the last weekly candle) to the 61.8% retracement level of 1.0959 (red dashed line). The pair may climb further upon testing the price.   Fig. 1 (weekly chart) Comprehensive analysis: Indicator analysis -upward Fibonacci levels - upward Volumes - upward Candlestick analysis - upward Trend analysis - upward Bollinger bands - upward Monthly chart - upward   Conclusion: The indicators point to an upward movement in EUR/USD. Overall conclusion: The pair will have a bullish trend, with no first lower shadow on the weekly white candle (Monday - upward) and no second upper shadow (Friday - upward). Therefore, during the week, euro will rise from 1.0893 (closing price of the last weekly candle) to the 61.8% retracement level of 1.0959 (red dashed line), and then climb further to the upper fractal at 1.1017 (yellow dashed line). Alternatively, it could move upward from 1.0893 (closing price of the last weekly candle) to the 50% retracement level of 1.0959 (red dashed line), followed by a pullback downwards.  

BoJ makes no changes to policy or guidance Yen declines over 1% The Japanese yen is sharply lower on Tuesday. In the European session, USD/JPY is trading at 144.42, up 1.15%. The yen surged 1.95% last week but has faltered and pared most of those gains this week. BoJ maintains policy Tuesday’s Bank of Japan meeting was a live meeting, as there was speculation that the central bank might make a move after some broad hints of tighter policy from senior Bank officials. In the end, the meeting was a non-event as even a tweak in language was not to be found, and disappointed market participants gave the yen a thumbs down. The BoJ maintained its policy settings, but speculation is high that the central bank will tighten policy next year, at a time when the other major banks are loosening policy as inflation moves lower. Governor Ueda acknowledged that prices and wages are moving higher but said more time was needed to determine if a “positive wage-inflation cycle will fall in place”. Core inflation has remained above the 2% target for some 19 months, but the BoJ has argued that inflation has been driven by cost-push factors and is not sustainable. At a post-meeting press conference, Ueda rejected exiting from the Bank’s ultra-loose policy, saying that uncertainty over the outlook is “extremely high”. The markets have been exuberant since the Fed meeting last week when Fed Chair Powell penciled in three rate cuts next year. Traders are far more bullish and are betting on six rate hikes in 2024, starting in March. We’re seeing some pushback from the Fed to reign in market expectations. On Friday, New York Fed President John Williams said a rate cut in March was “premature” and even warned that rates could move higher if inflation were to stall or reverse. Cleveland Fed President Mester said on Monday that the markets are a “bit ahead” of the Fed on rate cuts, as the Fed was focused on how long it would need to maintain rates in restrictive territory, while the markets were focused on rate cuts.   USD/JPY Technical USD/JPY has pushed past resistance at 143.30 and 143.81 and is testing resistance at 144.45.  Above, there is resistance at 145.51 There is support at 142.66 and 142.15    

Consensus is expecting no change to BoJ’s monetary policy, but its policy statement and Governor Ueda’s press conference may signal an imminent shift away from short-term negative interest rates. Mounting pressures from public and private sectors with Economy Minister Shindo attending today’s monetary policy decision meeting as a representative from the Cabinet Office. Technical analysis suggests further potential weakness in the USD/JPY. This is a follow-up analysis of our prior report, “USD/JPY Technical: Potential JPY bullish pressure reasserts” published on 12 December 2023. Click here for a recap. In December, the JPY was the best performer among the major currencies against the US dollar where it soared by +4.85% as of 19 December at this time of the writing. The recent JPY strength has been attributed to two factors; the US Federal Reserve’s dovish pivot where it guided market participants by projecting three cuts on the Fed funds rate in 2024. In contrast, hawkish guidance from top BoJ officials made two weeks ago where Governor Ueda and Deputy Governor Himino’s remarks have dialled up speculations that the current short-term negative interest rate policy in Japan in place since 2016 is likely to be scrapped sooner than expected and may come as early on the 23 January 2024 monetary policy meeting where BoJ releases its latest economic outlook report on the same day. Today, the Bank of Japan (BoJ) will conclude its last two-day monetary policy meeting for 2023 while the consensus expectations are expecting no change to the current monetary policy setting, BoJ can still potentially lay the groundwork for its upcoming shift away from short-term negative interest rates via its policy statement and BoJ Governor Ueda’s press conference at 3.30 pm after the close of the Japan’s stock market. BoJ faced mounting pressures from the public and private sectors Interestingly, ahead of today’s monetary policy decision outcome, it seems that mounting pressure from the public and private sectors has arisen, prominent Jaan business lobby Keidanren head Tokura said yesterday that BoJ must normalize monetary policy as early as possible. Also, today’s meeting outcome will be attended by Economy Minister Shindo as a representative from the Cabinet Office who cannot vote on monetary policy decisions. It is rare for a cabinet minister to attend BoJ monetary policy meetings as such “attendee roles” are usually assigned to deputy ministers. In the past meetings that cabinet ministers attended had resulted in major monetary policy changes such as the launch of the mega quantitative asset-buying programme in April 2013. USD/JPY is hovering around the 200-day moving average Fig 1: USD/JPY medium-term trend as of 19 Dec 2023 (Source: TradingView, click to enlarge chart   The medium and short-term downtrend phases of the USD/JPY in place since a test on its 151.95 major resistance on 13 November 2023 remain intact as price actions remain below its downward sloping 20 and 50-day moving averages without a bullish divergence condition seen on its daily RSI momentum indicator at its oversold region. Short-term momentum has turned bearish Fig 2: USD/JPY short-term minor trend as of 19 Dec 2023 (Source: TradingView, click to enlarge chart In the shorter term as depicted on the hourly chart, the RSI momentum indicator has staged a bearish breakdown below its parallel ascending support after it hit overbought status yesterday, 18 December. Watch the 143.30 short-term pivotal resistance and a break below the recent 140.95 low printed last Thursday, 14 December may expose the next intermediate support at 139.20 in the first step (also the close to the 50% Fibonacci retracement of the prior medium-term uptrend phase from 16 January 2023 low to 13 November 2023 high). On the other hand, a clearance above 143.30 negates the bearish tone for a potential minor countertrend rebound to see the next intermediate resistances coming in at 144.80 and 146.70 if 144.80 is taken out.    

Cryptocurrencies kick off the new year with a strong performance, with Bitcoin surging by over 5% today, surpassing the $45,000 mark and resulting in a notable week-to-date and year-to-date gain for Bitcoin, reaching almost 9%. While the exact catalyst for this upward movement remains unclear, the overarching narrative in the cryptocurrency market centers around spot Bitcoin ETFs with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) currently evaluating multiple applications and with unconfirmed reports suggesting that a decision to approve these applications and facilitate the listing of spot Bitcoin ETFs could be imminent, possibly within the week. A Reuters report from December 29, 2023, hinted at the possibility that the US regulator might clear some spot Bitcoin ETFs either today or tomorrow, paving the way for the ETF launch on January 10, 2024. The authenticity of this report and the likelihood of the green light being imminent remain uncertain, but the cryptocurrency markets have been responsive to any positive news, even those with vague details. Bitcoin is currently trading at its highest level since April 2022, marking a daily high just below the $46,000 threshold and from a technical standpoint, the situation appears bullish, as BITCOIN has broken above the upper limit of the $41,000-44,300 trading range and continues to gain momentum. As optimism grows in the crypto space, It seems almost certain that a Bitcoin ETF will be approved and the main doubts are now about timing rather than anything else.     

China Caixin Manufacturing posts slight growth The Australian dollar is in positive territory on Tuesday. In the European session, AUD/USD is trading at 0.6826, up 0.22%. The week between Christmas and New Year’s was subdued in the currency markets. Still, the Australian dollar hit a six-month high on Christmas Day, rising to 0.6871. The Aussie ended the year on a roll, gaining 3.1% in December. China’s Caixin Manufacturing PMI ticked up to 50.8 in December, up from 50.7 in November and above the consensus of 50.4. This was the highest reading since August, but the reading points to stagnation in manufacturing. The reading was better than the official Manufacturing PMI release on Saturday of 49.0 which indicates contraction. The non-manufacturing PMI edged up to 50.4, compared to 50.2 in November. Activity in the non-manufacturing sector has been minimal over the past six months, as China remains mired in an economic slowdown as we move into 2024. Where is RBA headed? The Reserve Bank of Australia meets next on February 6 and it’s anyone’s guess what the central bank has in mind for 2024. The RBA has raised interest rates just once since June and held the cash rate at 4.35% at the December meeting. It’s likely that the RBA is done with raising rates, but the timing of a rate cut is unclear. Many economists are circling September for the first rate cut, while Bank of America is predicting a rate cut only in 2025. The markets are more optimistic and have priced in a rate cut in mid-2024. What all the views can agree on is that the inflation rate will play a critical role in determining the RBA’s rate path. Inflation has fallen to 4.9% but remains much higher than the RBA’s target band of 2-3%. Australia will release the December inflation report on January 10 and the release should be treated as a market-mover.   AUD/USD Technical AUD/USD is testing resistance at 0.6812. Next, there is resistance at 0.6845 0.6779 and 0.6746 are providing support  

COT reports on the British pound show that the sentiment of commercial traders has been changing quite frequently in recent months. The red and green lines, representing the net positions of commercial and non-commercial traders, often intersect and, in most cases, are not far from the zero mark. According to the latest report on the British pound, the non-commercial group closed 10,000 buy contracts and 4,200 short ones. As a result, the net position of non-commercial traders decreased by 5,800 contracts in a week. Since bulls currently don't have the advantage, we believe that the pound will not be able to sustain the upward movement for long . The fundamental backdrop still does not provide a basis for long-term purchases on the pound.   The non-commercial group currently has a total of 58,800 buy contracts and 44,700 sell contracts. Since the COT reports cannot make an accurate forecast of the market's behavior right now, and the fundamentals are practically the same for both currencies, we can only assess the technical picture and economic reports. The technical analysis suggests that we can expect a strong decline, and the economic reports have also been significantly stronger in the United States for quite some time now.   On the 1H chart, GBP/USD is making every effort to correct lower, but the uptrend remains intact. We believe that the British pound doesn't have any good reason to strengthen in the long-term. Therefore, at the very least, we expect the pair to return to the level of 1.2513. However, there are currently no sell signals, so the uptrend is still intact. On Tuesday, there are few reasons for the pair to show volatile movements. We may see a flat phase, a downtrend, or an uptrend (intraday), so we need to purely rely on technical analysis. We expect the pound to consolidate below the trendline, and in that case, we can consider selling while aiming for the Senkou Span B line. A n upward movement is theoretically possible today, but we see no reason for it, so you shouldn't consider buying at the moment. As of January 2, we highlight the following important levels: 1.2215, 1.2269, 1.2349, 1.2429-1.2445, 1.2513, 1.2605-1.2620, 1.2726, 1.2786, 1.2863, 1.2981-1.2987. The Senkou Span B line (1.2646) and the Kijun-sen (1.2753) lines can also be sources of signals. Don't forget to set a breakeven Stop Loss to breakeven if the price has moved in the intended direction by 20 pips. The Ichimoku indicator lines may move during the day, so this should be taken into account when determining trading signals. Today, the UK and the US will release their second estimates of business activity indices in the manufacturing sector for December. These are not significant reports so it is unlikely for traders to react to them. Description of the chart: Support and resistance levels are thick red lines near which the trend may end. They do not provide trading signals; The Kijun-sen and Senkou Span B lines are the lines of the Ichimoku indicator, plotted to the 1H timeframe from the 4H one. They provide trading signals; Extreme levels are thin red lines from which the price bounced earlier. They provide trading signals; Yellow lines are trend lines, trend channels, and any other technical patterns; Indicator 1 on the COT charts is the net position size for each category of traders; Indicator 2 on the COT charts is the net position size for the Non-commercial group.  

Trend analysis EUR/USD may pull back this week, falling from 1.1036 (closing price of the last weekly candle) to the 23.6% retracement level of 1.0975 (yellow dotted line). It may go upwards after testing the level.   Comprehensive analysis: Indicator analysis - downward Fibonacci levels - downward Volumes - downward Candlestick analysis - downward Trend analysis - downward Bollinger bands - upward Monthly chart - upward Conclusion: The indicators point to a downward movement in EUR/USD. Overall conclusion: The pair will have a bearish trend, with no first upper shadow on the weekly black candle (Tuesday - downward) and a second lower shadow (Friday - upward). Therefore, during the week, euro will decline from 1.1036 (closing price of the last weekly candle) to the 23.6% retracement level of 1.0975 (yellow dotted line), and then go upwards after testing the level. Alternatively, it could move from 1.1036 (closing price of the last weekly candle) to the 61.8% retracement level of 1.0959 (red dotted line), and then go upwards after testing the level. Read more: https://www.instaforex.eu/forex_analysis/364727

GBP/USD On the last working day of December, the GBP/USD pair closed below the level of 1.2745. Therefore, in order to confirm its intention to continue the upward movement (if the pound intends to do so), it needs to reverse and close above 1.2745. This will take time. As a result, even if it closes today's session with a white candle, this won't be a signal for an upward move.   We expect the main movement to take place tomorrow with the release of the ISM Employment and Manufacturing Indexes for December. The forecast for the ISM Manufacturing PMI is 47.1, compared to the previous 46.7. We believe that the data could bring optimism back to the markets and risk appetite. Therefore, we still expect the pound to rise towards the upper band of the price channel near the target level of 1.2930. The Marlin oscillator is already in negative territory but has not yet firmly settled there.     On the 4-hour chart, the price is progressing above both indicator lines. The Marlin oscillator is hovering around the neutral zero line. The price is waiting for an external impetus, possibly from the PMI data. We're waiting.    

The bearish trend, a significant aspect of Forex trading, plays a crucial role in shaping investment decisions. This article aims to elucidate the characteristics of the bear market and its implications for traders. Understanding the Downtrend As discussed in our previous articles, a trend represents the direction in which the price of a currency pair is moving. A fundamental trading principle is to align investments with the trend rather than against it. Therefore, comprehending the downtrend is essential. The identification of a downtrend can be facilitated by analyzing charts that reflect past price values. Analyzing the Downtrend In the chart, the descending peaks and troughs, marked in red, signify a downtrend. Connecting the peaks forms a clear trend line. The strength of the trend is proportional to the distance between the peaks, with a larger gap indicating a more robust trend. While charts may not always vividly display trend lines, recognizing a general downward price trend can serve as a signal to temporarily exit the market. Bear Market Dynamics A bear market, synonymous with a downtrend, occurs when prices consistently decline. In the long term, it signifies a bearish market. Adhering to the popular adage "the trend is your friend," in such scenarios, traders usually contemplate selling. Bear markets often exhibit greater volatility compared to bullish trends, attributed to the accompanying unease amid declining prices. Support and Resistance Lines Support and resistance lines denote potential reversal points in the price movement of a currency pair. In a downtrend, support comprises the successive troughs, each lower than the previous one. These levels represent the depths of prior downward movements, acting as points where the price resisted further decline. Conversely, resistance surfaces when there is a visible level at which the price resisted further upward movement. Referring to the "change of poles" principle, if a resistance level is breached, it transforms into a support level. This pivotal moment often prompts seasoned traders to enter the market. Understanding the dynamics of a bear market is crucial for Forex traders. By recognizing the signs of a downtrend, interpreting charts, and comprehending the roles of support and resistance lines, traders can navigate the complexities of bearish markets more adeptly.

Horizontal trends, often referred to as consolidation, describe a stable market situation where prices neither exhibit a clear upward nor downward trend. This article delves into the significance of horizontal trends, exploring their characteristics and implications for traders. Recognizing Sideways Trends Consolidation, characterized by a balance between price peaks and troughs, differs in investment strategy from both downward and upward trends. Thus, understanding how to identify horizontal trends becomes crucial for traders. Key Elements of Sideways Trends Horizontal trends, also known as sideways or ranging trends, have distinctive features clearly visible on price charts. The longevity of prices staying in such a pattern makes recognizing this trend crucial for traders. Identifying Horizontal Trends To identify a horizontal trend, historical data spanning two to three weeks is necessary. This allows the identification of at least two maximum and two minimum values of the currency pair's price. If these points are at or near the same level, a sideways trend is assumed. Confirmation occurs when a subsequent peak or trough appears within the previously identified range. Strength of the Trend The strength of a horizontal trend is determined by two factors: the number of peaks/troughs within the range and the significant distance between them. A robust trend is indicated by numerous maximum or minimum points, along with substantial time intervals between peak and trough values. Occurrence of Consolidation Sideways trends commonly occur in two scenarios. Firstly, as a short-term pause within either an upward or downward trend. Secondly, it can manifest as an extended transitional phase between an upward and downward trend, signaling a potential change in price direction. Potential Outcomes of Sideways Trends The future course of a sideways trend depends on price behavior. Stability prevails when prices do not surpass support or resistance lines. The emergence of a higher peak or lower trough likely signals the beginning of a bullish or bearish market, depending on the direction of change. Strategies During Sideways Trends Consider various scenarios based on breakout direction and your market position. In an upward breakout, indicating a trend change, consider buying if you don't have an open position. If a downward breakout occurs during consolidation, signaling a price decline below the line, decide to sell if you have open positions. If a price drop is observed, it could signify the start or continuation of a downward trend, prompting caution or staying out of the market if you haven't initiated positions. Navigating sideways trends requires a keen understanding of consolidation patterns. Traders must recognize the signs, interpret price movements, and make informed decisions during horizontal market phases to enhance their success in Forex trading.

Understanding the terms like "uptrend," "bull market," and their significance is paramount for seasoned traders, but they might pose challenges for newcomers in the stock market. This article delves into the meanings and importance of these concepts when making investment decisions. Unveiling the Concept of Uptrend As discussed in our previous articles, a trend signifies the direction in which the price of a specific currency pair is moving. The ability to determine a trend is crucial in Forex trading. Adhering to the widely accepted principle, "the trend is your friend," aligning investments with the trend rather than against it is fundamental. Today, we'll focus on the rising trend. Bull Market – Definition and Characteristics: First and foremost, let's clarify that terms like "bull market," "uptrend," "rising trend," or "uptrend" all refer to the same market situation. If an upward trend persists over an extended period, it's referred to as a bull market. The graphical representation of an uptrend looks like this: Clearly, in an uptrend, each successive trough is higher than the previous one, along with each successive peak. This indicates that the price is consistently rising. It's crucial to remember that occasional price drops, known as corrections, may occur, but the overall upward trend is maintained. Following the basic trading principle for long-term investing, always act in line with the trend; during an uptrend, transactions should predominantly be buying. However, when the last trough is breached or no new peak is evident, it could signal the end of the uptrend. In such situations, refraining from investments and waiting for a clearer direction is advisable. Support and Resistance Lines: While discussing the uptrend, it's essential to mention support and resistance lines, critical moments in the cycle that can indicate significant changes in the trend. The resistance line marks the point where supply is stronger than demand, signifying the beginning of a price decline. Typically, the resistance line is determined by the previous peak (based on historical data). Overcoming levels of successive resistance peaks is necessary to sustain an uptrend. Conversely, if breaking the resistance line occurs after bouncing off the support line, a change in the current trend can be anticipated. The support line is the level where demand outweighs the force of supply. This halts the price decline, resulting in a resurgence of values. Usually, the depth of the previous price drop defines the support line. In summary, understanding uptrends, such as bull markets, involves recognizing the graphical representations, following the basic trading principle, and considering critical moments like support and resistance lines. This knowledge equips traders to navigate the complexities of rising markets more adeptly.    

Pivot points, an often overlooked technical analysis tool, can be a game-changer in daily Forex trading. Let's delve into what pivot points are, how to calculate them, and practical strategies for incorporating them into your trading routine. Understanding Pivot Points Pivot points are a mathematical formula used to identify support and resistance levels. This objective tool automatically determines potential areas where a currency's price might rise, fall, or stall. Derived from pure mathematical calculations, pivot points rely on historical high, low, and closing prices. Traders primarily apply this indicator in day trading, using weekly or monthly quotes as the basis for calculations. For intraday trading, daily pivot points are commonly utilized. The Pivot Points Formula The formula for pivot points involves essential data points: Closing price (C) Highest price within a period (H) Lowest price within a period (L) The pivotal point (P) is calculated as the arithmetic mean of these values: P = (C + H + L)/3. Further calculations yield resistance and support levels: First Resistance (R1): R1 = 2*P – L Second Resistance (R2): R2 = P + (H – L) Third Resistance (R3): R3 = P + (H – L)*2 Similarly, support levels (S) are determined: First Support (S1): S1 = 2*P – H Second Support (S2): S2 = P – (R1 – S1) Third Support (S3): S3 = P – (H – L)*2 Applying Pivot Points in Practice Various approaches exist for leveraging pivot points in making investment decisions. Traders may customize their use based on individual trading methods. Here are general guidelines to aid in concrete actions: Buying and Selling Zones: Typically, above the pivot points line, traders consider a selling zone, engaging in short positions. Conversely, below this line lies the buying zone, where long positions are common. Viewing pivot points as reversal points, traders anticipate price consolidation. Opening a position occurs when the price drops to the S1 level, with a selling signal when reaching the R1 level. Prices often oscillate between R1 and S1, the first resistance and support levels. Breakout Strategy: Alternatively, traders might opt to open a position after breaking a designated level, anticipating a continuation of the established trend. In this scenario, a sell position is initiated when the price falls below S1, while a buy position is triggered when the price surpasses R1, with the aim of reaching a value close to R2. Pivot points serve as one of the many tools for making investment decisions. Some traders find them invaluable, using them frequently, while others incorporate them as a supportive element alongside decisions driven by other analyses. Every trader should experiment and devise a personalized trading strategy. However, for optimal and reliable results, it is advisable to use this method concurrently with other approaches. Incorporating pivot points into your trading arsenal can provide a valuable edge, helping you navigate the complex landscape of Forex markets more effectively. Remember, while pivot points offer insights, combining them with a diversified strategy enhances your overall trading acumen.      

Today's core PCE the next key signpost ahead of next weeks Fed meeting By Michael Hewson (Chief Market Analyst at CMC Markets UK)   European markets managed to eke out a small gain yesterday after the ECB kept rates unchanged but left the door ajar to the prospect of a rate cut before the summer. ECB President Christine Lagarde did push back strongly on speculation that policymakers had discussed anything like that insisting that such talk was premature, echoing her comments made earlier this month. It was noteworthy however that the possibility of a cut before June wasn't ruled out completely, and it was that markets reacted to yesterday as yields declined sharply, which does keep the prospect of an earlier move on the table given how poor this week's economic data has been.   US markets also managed to finish the day higher with the S&P500 and Nasdaq 100 putting in new record closes, after US Q4 GDP came in well above expectations at 3.3%. The core PCE price index also remained steady at 2% for the second quarter in succession, and in line with the Federal Reserve's inflation target, thus keeping faint hopes of a US rate cut in March alive. It also places much greater importance on today's December core PCE deflator inflation numbers which aren't expected to vary much from what we saw in the November numbers. At the moment markets seem convinced that the Fed might spring a surprise in March and slip in an early rate cut if inflation shows further signs of slowing. That might make sense if the US economy was struggling but this week's economic numbers clearly suggest it isn't, and if anything is still growing at a decent clip. There is a danger that in cutting rates in March they drive market expectations of further cuts into overdrive, something they have been keen to push back on with recent commentary.   In any case with the Federal Reserve due to meet next week markets are continuing to try and finesses the timing of when the first rate cut is likely to occur, after Powell's surprisingly dovish shift when the central bank last met just before Christmas. That means today PCE numbers are likely to be a key waypoint for markets and the central bank, after the PCE core deflator slowed to 3.2% in November, slipping from 3.4% in October, and the lowest level since April 2021. A further slowdown to 3% or even lower, which appears to be the consensus could see markets continue to build on the prospect of a rate cut in March, which took hold back in December. The bigger concern for some Fed officials is that headline CPI appears to be ticking higher again, which may make the last yards to 2% much trickier. This will be the Fed's key concern over an early cut as it could reignite the inflationary pressures that have taken so long to get under control. This caution would suggest that March is too early for a US rate cut, and that the market is getting ahead of itself, with policymakers also likely to pay attention to consumer demand. This means personal spending is also likely to be a key indicator for the FOMC and here we are expecting to see a pickup to 0.5% from 0.2%. With the US consumer still looking resilient the Fed is likely to be extra cautious if inflation starts ticking higher again as it already has with headline CPI.   It was also interesting to note that while yields fell sharply yesterday, the US dollar didn't, it actually finished the day higher and well off the lows of the week.       EUR/USD – slipped back towards the 200-day SMA at 1.0820/30 yesterday, with a break below 1.0800 targeting a potential move towards 1.0720. Resistance at the highs this week at 1.0930 and behind that at 1.1000.  GBP/USD – while the pound has struggled to push higher this week, we've managed to consistently hold above the support at the 50-day SMA as well as the 1.2590 area. We need to get above 1.2800 to maintain upside momentum. EUR/GBP – finally slipped to support at the 0.8520 area, which needs to hold to prevent a move towards the August lows at 0.8490. Resistance at the 0.8620/25 area and the highs last week. USD/JPY – currently finding resistance at the 148.80 area which has held over the last week or so which could see a move back towards the 146.25 area. A fall through 146.00 could delay a move towards 150 and argue for a move towards 144.00. FTSE100 is expected to open 30 points higher at 7,559 DAX is expected to open 50 points lower at 16,857 CAC40 is expected to open 28 points higher at 7,492.

The Japanese yen is drifting on Friday. In the European session, USD/JPY is trading at 147.80, up 0.10%. Tokyo Core CPI falls to 1.6% Tokyo Core CPI reached a significant milestone today, falling to 1.6% y/y in January, after a December reading of 2.1%. This was the first time the indicator dropped below the Bank of Japan’s 2% target since May 2022. The main driver of the decline was lower energy prices. Tokyo Core CPI excludes fresh food but includes fuel. The Tokyo core-core index, which excludes fresh food and fuel prices, rose 3.1% y/y in January, down from 3.5% in December. The drop in inflation reinforces the BoJ’s view that cost pressures are gradually being replaced by rising service prices as the main driver of inflation. This is hugely significant, as it points to inflation being more sustainable, which is a requirement for the BoJ before it tightens its ultra-loose policy. Japan also released corporate service inflation for December which held steady at 2.4%, a nine-year high. That reading underscores that service prices remain high a companies continue to pass on their costs. BoJ Governor Ueda stated at this week’s policy meeting that progress is being made towards the target of 2% sustainable inflation, and that has the markets speculating that the BoJ could make a major policy shift in April or June. The BoJ wants to see higher wages as evidence that inflation is sustainable and the national wage negotiations in March are expected to provide higher wages for workers.   In the US, the first-estimate GDP for the fourth quarter smashed above expectations, but the US dollar didn’t show much interest. GDP growth rose 3.3% y/y, below the 4.9% gain in the third quarter but well above the consensus estimate of 2.0%. The US economy continues to produce stronger-than-expected data and that has the markets paring expectations for a rate cut in March. The probability of a March cut has fallen to 48%, down sharply from 70% one month ago, according to the CME’s FedWatch tool. . USD/JPY Technical USD/JPY tested support earlier at 147.54. Below, there is support at 146.63 There is resistance at 148.44 and 149.35

WTI crude oil has started to evolve into a short-term uptrend phase reinforced by the recent liquidity infusion by China’s central bank, PBoC upcoming 50 bps cut on the RRR. The current 5-day rally of WTI crude oil has reached a key medium-term resistance zone of US$79.00/79.40 with a short-term overbought condition. At the risk of a minor mean reversion decline with intermediate supports at US$75.30 and US$74.80. This is a follow-up analysis of our prior report, “WTI Oil Technical: Sideways within a potential minor bottoming configuration” published on 16 January 2024. Click here for a recap. Benchmark oil prices have bottomed and traded higher since the start of this week as the West Texas Oil (a proxy of WTI crude oil futures) had rallied by +4.9% week-to-date at this time of the writing, its best weekly gain since the 9 October 2023. On top of the rising geopolitical risk premium that is supporting firmer oil prices from the ongoing tensions in the Middle East region and Red Sea shipping route, the additional liquidity infusion from China’s central bank (PBoC) with an upcoming 50 bps cut on commercial banks’ reserve requirement ratio has also triggered an indirect “demand-pull” catalyst on oil prices. CTA funds may have contributed to the current bullish momentum frenzy All in all, these factors have created short-term reflexive positive feedback into the oil market reinforced by possible speculative CTA funds that run on momentum-driven models that piled into oil futures with a bullish bias. The price actions of the benchmark Brent and WTI crude oil have pierced above their respective 50-day moving averages on Monday, 22 January and have capped their prices previously since late October 2023; positive momentum begets positive momentum. At the risk of a minor mean reversion decline below US$78.40 Fig 1:  West Texas Oil medium-term trend as of 26 Jan 2024 (Source: TradingView, click to enlarge chart)   Fig 2:  West Texas Oil minor short-term trend as of 26 Jan 2024 (Source: TradingView, click to enlarge chart) In the lens of technical analysis, the recent push-up of West Texas Oil since the start of this week has led its hourly RSI momentum indicator to hover close to an extremely overbought level of around 74 in place since 12 January 2024. This current overbought condition has also taken form as its price action is now coming close to a key medium-term resistance zone of US$78.00/78.40 (upper boundary of the minor ascending channel from 17 January 2024 low & close to the key 200-day moving average). Therefore, the odds have increased for a potential minor mean reversion decline to retrace a portion of the ongoing short-term uptrend phase with the next intermediate supports coming in at US$75.75/75.30 and US$74.80. On the flip side, clearance above the US$78.40 pivotal resistance invalidates the mean reversion decline scenario for a continuation of the bullish trend towards the next intermediate resistance at US$79.75 in the first step.