wave analysis

On Tuesday, the demand for the pound was significantly higher than that for the euro. As soon as this happened, many analysts began to pay attention to the report on prices in UK stores, as shop price inflation accelerated to 9% this month. This indicates that UK inflation is decreasing slowly or not decreasing at all, despite the benchmark interest rate being raised to 4.5%.   The consensus forecast for the Bank of England's rate currently suggests two more quarter point rate hikes in June and August.   This would bring the rate to 5%. Any further tightening without alternatives would push the British economy into a recession, and even the current rate could potentially cause it, despite the BoE's optimistic forecasts. But how can inflation be combated if it hardly responds to the actions of the central bank?     I believe there can only be one disheartening answer: it cannot. If further rate hikes lead to a recession, the Brits, clearly dissatisfied with recent events within the country, may start a new wave of mass strikes. Take note that in the past year, many Brits have openly criticized the British government for the sharp decline in real incomes and high inflation.   If the rate increases further, the economy will contract, leading to an increase in unemployment. If the rate is kept as it is, it might take years for inflation to return to the target level. The BoE is in a deadlock. BoE Governor Andrew Bailey expects inflation to start decreasing rapidly from April. He noted the decline in energy prices, which will somewhat dampen inflationary pressure on all categories of goods and services. However, the April inflation report was unusually contradictory. While headline inflation showed a significant slowdown, core inflation continues to rise.   Therefore, it is not possible to conclude that inflation is slowing down in the general sense. We can only wait and observe. If Bailey turns out to be right, then the BoE will not need to raise the rate to 5.5% or 6%, which currently seems like a fantasy.   However, if inflation continues to hover around 10%, the BoE will need to devise new measures to address it without exerting serious pressure on the economy. It might require patience for several years. It is entirely unclear which option the central bank will choose.   The demand for the British pound may increase as market expectations of a hawkish stance grow. But will these expectations be justified? The pound may rise based on this, but fall even harder when it becomes clear that the BoE is not ready to raise the rate above 5%. I believe that wave analysis should be the primary tool for forecasting at the moment.     Based on the analysis conducted, I conclude that the uptrend phase has ended. Therefore, I would recommend selling at this point, as the instrument has enough room to fall. I believe that targets around 1.0500-1.0600 are quite realistic.   A corrective wave may start from the 1.0678 level, so you can consider short positions if the pair surpasses this level. The wave pattern of the GBP/USD pair has long indicated the formation of a new downtrend wave. Wave b could be very deep, as all waves have recently been equal.   A successful attempt to break through 1.2445, which equates to 100.0% Fibonacci, indicates that the market is ready to sell. I recommend selling the pound with targets around 23 and 22 figures. But most likely, the decline will be stronger.    

Not only is the demand for the US currency decreasing, it's practically falling every day. The EUR/USD pair increased by 220 points this week, the GBP/USD pair by 270, if calculated from the week's opening point. At first glance, it may seem that the dollar losses are not frightening, but it continues to fall even when there are no reasons for it to do so. We are all used to the idea that market movements rely on economic data, daily events that help determine direction within each day. Sometimes there are strong background events, thanks to which one or another currency can grow every day, but this growth is not expressed in three-digit numbers.     Having analyzed the situation again, I came to the conclusion that the dollar's problem may lie in rapidly falling inflation. If inflation has already dropped to 3%, then the Federal Reserve has no need to continue policy-tightening in 2023. Perhaps there will be another "control shot" at consumer prices, and the rate will rise to 5.5%. But that's it.   The second point - if inflation is approaching the Fed's target, then monetary easing may begin as early as 2023. In the case of the European Central Bank and the Bank of England, if the rate does finish rising in the coming months, it is not possible to talk about policy easing in the context of the near-term perspective. In my opinion, this is a rather dubious explanation for the falling demand for the US currency, but there is no other! The ECB and the BoE will sooner or later also cease tightening and move to easing, and this time may come even sooner than it seems now.   After all, in the UK and the EU the question of recession remains open. US GDP grows by 2-3% each quarter, whereas in Europe and the UK, growth has been absent for several quarters. And the higher the rate goes, the more "negative" economic growth will be. And I believe this factor should also be taken into account. Based on all of the above, the euro and pound can extend its upward movement for some time. This can be explained as the "final impulse" of the market, which understands that it has placed both instruments in overbought territory. However, it's impossible to predict when most market participants will decide to take profits and close long positions. I believe that now it is necessary to carefully monitor the situation and try to respond to it as quickly as possible.   There aren't really any other options. Both wave markings allow for a build-up of a descending set of waves, but we know that any wave structure can be complicated. And the current news background provides no help or benefit. There were plenty of weak economic reports from the EU and Britain this week.   Based on the analysis conducted, I conclude that the uptrend build-up is still in progress, but it can end at any moment. I believe that targets around 1.0500-1.0600 are quite realistic, and I advise selling the instrument with these targets. However, now we need to wait for the completion of the a-b-c structure, and afterwards we can expect the pair to fall into this area. Buying is quite risky. The euro uses any opportunity to rise, but the news background for the dollar is not as weak as it may seem. The wave pattern of the GBP/USD pair suggests the formation of an upward set of waves. Earlier, I advised buying the instrument in case of a failed attempt to break through the 1.2615 mark, which is equivalent to 127.2% Fibonacci, and then open long positions while aiming for targets around the 1.3084 mark, which corresponds to 200.0% Fibonacci. Now all targets have been achieved, but a successful attempt to break through 1.3084 can lead to a new momentum with targets located around 1.3478 (261.8% Fibonacci).  

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.