Hints Of A Respite To Dollar Selling As Gold Threatens To Pullback

 | Jul 28, 2020 08:18

h5 Market Overview

Selling pressure on the dollar has been a huge factor across major markets in recent sessions. However, with month-end, a Fed meeting and subtle shifts in the COVID outlook, is this move about to see a retracement and a near term dollar rally? There are signs that perhaps the increase in US COVID infections may be flattening off, we are beginning to see rates pick up across the Eurozone once more. Could this subtle shift be enough to take focus away from the perception of US economic underperformance? The FOMC begins its two day meeting today and the July meeting contains no projections and traders will be wondering where the dovish surprise could come from that would drive renewed selling pressure. Furthermore, can Congress come to an agreement on the latest round of US fiscal stimulus? The paycheque support from the CARES Act expires this week and Congress will be eager to see a replacement agreed. As this all comes together, it is interesting to see some of these extremely overbought markets threatening to pull back this morning. Gold is -$40 off its overnight high of $1980, whilst EUR/USD, USD/JPY and Cable are all back from their extremes too. Is this a moment where profits are taken? Month-end positioning also becomes a factor too as the week develops.

Wall Street closed solidly higher last night with the S&P 500 +0.7% at 3239, whilst futures (E-mini S&Ps) are all but flat this morning. Asian markets have again been stable overnight, with the Nikkei -0.3% and Shanghai Composite +0.2%. European indices follow a similar path, with FTSE futures +0.3% and DAX futures +0.4%. In forex, there is an early hint of a USD rebound, albeit only slight, with EUR and NZD the main underperformers initially. In commodities, the hint of dollar rebound is also reflected through gold trading -$4 lower (-0.2%) but also around -2% off its earlier highs), whilst silver is around -1% lower today. Oil is around the flat line.

There is a US focus to data on the economic calendar today. The S&P Case Shiller House Price Index for May is at 1400BST and is forecast to remain at +4.0% once more (+4.0% in April). The main data for the day will be the Conference Board’s US Consumer Confidence which is at 1500BST and is expected to deteriorate in July to 94.5 (down from 98.1 in June). Also keep an eye out for the Richmond Fed Composite Index at 1500BST which is expected to improve to +5 in July (from 0 in June).

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Chart of the Day – EUR/AUD

We have been following the development of a potential recovery on Euro/Aussie for a while. With the euro taking off in the past week, this recovery potential is growing. It is taking several weeks, but a rebound from the June low at 1.6030 has found a second low around 1.6100, which means that a move above a prospective neckline at 1.6585 would complete a base pattern. This pattern is still some way from completion, but the market has now broken the last of any downtrends that remained and has moved above initial resistance at 1.6445 which has been holding back the bulls in the past five weeks. The way is now open for a test of 1.6585 key near term resistance which is a neckline of the base and also a pivot resistance. The momentum indicators give real encouragement, with the RSI above 50 for the first time since April, whilst Stochastics are also increasingly positive and MACD lines improving. This looks to be a market ready to make the next key step in the recovery. A close above 1.6585 would imply c. +580 pips towards a test of the April rebound high of 1.7195. Increasingly we see near term weakness within the base being a chance to buy for the recovery. Initial support band 1.6280/1.6400 holding would be something for the bulls to now build from.