trading range.

GBP: Sterling steady into jobs data next Tuesday EUR/GBP volatility remains near recent lows and spot trades well within a tight 0.8570-0.8640 range. Second or third-tier UK data has been quite mixed recently, but the main event on the data front will be next Tuesday's release of jobs and wages data. We see that as a negative event risk for sterling, where wage growth could continue to slow and take some of the steam out of the 100bp+ Bank of England tightening expectations still priced in by money markets. GBP/USD to trade well within a 1.2400-1.2500 range.  

EIA Crude Oil Inventory Report expected at 11am EST. **Note API reported 4.4million draw last night. Fed’s rate path remains key for gold traders Bitcoin momentum capped on rising expectations BlackRock will get a US Bitcoin ETF approved Oil  Crude prices got a boost after the API report showed stockpiles declined by 4.4 million barrels per day. Energy traders are watching a tug-of-war between bullish bets that stem from expectations that OPEC+ will keep this market tight and as global recession fears grow.  Oil will struggle here if global economies continue to drag here. It seems the news flow is steadily turning to sluggish economic growth and that is bad news for the crude demand outlook. If the next week of economic data suggests the US economy is quickly slowing down, that might trigger a weaker dollar but also calls for a much weaker consumer.   WTI crude looks like it might be stuck in a range a little longer until inventory trends become a little bit clearer.       Gold Gold prices are wavering as global central bank tightening is dragging down stocks.  Gold is starting to see some safe-haven flows despite a global bond market selloff as investors start to plan for medium term dollar weakness.  Gold looks like it might be able to stabilize above the $1900 level even if Wall Street starts to think that the September FOMC will be a live meeting.  Bearish dollar views are growing and that should become stronger once we next week’s inflation report.      Bitcoin  Bitcoin hovers around the $31,000 level as optimism grows that BlackRock will get their Bitcoin ETF done.  BlackRock CEO Larry Fink told Fox Business that “We do believe that if we can create more tokenization of assets and securities – that’s what bitcoin is – it could revolutionize finance.”  This is a major pivot from Fink and provides optimism that other crypto skeptics could change their tune in the near future.   Bitcoin appears to be facing some price barriers ahead of the $32,000 level.  Bitcoin’s performance is gaining attention given some of the weakness that is emerging with global equities.  For the Bitcoin rally to continue, we will need to get a confirmation that the SEC will grant permission for a spot-Bitcoin ETF in the US. Bitcoin remains stuck in a range again, trading between $28,000 and $31,500.       

EUR: Hawkish ECB, but will we hear more about QT? Here is our full European Central Bank (ECB) preview and also a look at some of the key variables that could drive a reaction in eurozone FX and rates markets. The challenge now for the ECB is to deliver a hawkish message – a 25bp hike and the promise of more still to come – while balancing the risks that its growth forecasts are too high. One common pushback from customers against our bullish EUR/USD view is that ECB hawkishness will crumble early and not allow US and eurozone rate differentials to narrow as we expect. Assuming the ECB does maintain market expectations that the deposit rate (now 3.50%) will be close to 4.00% by the end of the year, what else could we see? One intriguing idea is that the hawks, in exchange for backing off from subsequent rate hikes, will be given something on quantitative tightening. Currently, re-investments of the APP scheme ended last month. PEPP reinvestments are targeted to continue until the end of 2024. Could PEPP reinvestments be cut shorter, or could the discussion move onto outright asset sales – moves that might upset both peripheral government bond markets and European credit markets? The market reaction might be tricky, but presumably, EUR/CHF could stay under pressure should this be the case. We do not have a strong conviction call on EUR/USD today but would say 1.1150 looks good intra-day resistance and 1.1000/1020 is now the lower end of the near-term trading range.

FX Daily: Attention turns to Turkey Ahead of tomorrow's main event of the week – speeches at the Fed's Jackson Hole symposium – attention today will turn to Turkey. In focus will be whether the Central Bank of Turkey accelerates its policy tightening in a return to a more orthodox policy. Consensus suggests probably not. Elsewhere, the dollar should remain steady, with jobs in focus.   USD: Focus on the jobs market The dollar and US yields were knocked off their highs yesterday as an annual benchmark revision (up to March 2023) deducted 306,000 from the reported US payroll growth figures. Several expectations had in fact looked for a 500,000 reduction. The market reaction (a 10bp drop in the US yield curve) looked a little exaggerated but perhaps proves a reminder that the employment story is the most important US variable right now. In other words, US disinflation is welcome, but if the unemployment rate remains at its lows and consumption stays strong, inflation may never make it back to 2% on a sustainable basis.    For that reason, look out for the weekly initial jobless claims data today, where any tick higher to the 250,000 area could slightly weigh on US yields and the dollar. We would not expect big moves, however, before Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell's 1605CET speech tomorrow at the Fed's Jackson Hole symposium. Given that the risk environment is a little better bid today – with Nvidia's results keeping the tech boom alive – DXY could trade slightly offered in a 103.15 to 103.50 range.