China’s COVID-19 regulations causing U.S Stocks to decline, Inflation in the UK could be pushed up by 1% in April

Summary:

• The Dollar was bid and stocks declined on Monday.
• The most recent budget from HM Treasury will push up inflation by a percentage point.
• AUD gave ground to most of its major currency counterparts to start the new week.

Investor confidence improved in China

The market is reflecting bearish signals for this currency pair. In spite of indications, the Dollar was bid and stocks declined. China is enforcing stricter regulations to combat a Covid-19 outbreak that is spreading. Three Covid deaths were reported by authorities over the weekend in Beijing, the first in more than six months. Just days after the nation said it was loosening some restrictions, there are reportedly early signs that some authorities are returning to a zero-Covid policy. In recent weeks, speculation that China would be willing to abandon its zero-Covid policy has intensified, boosting investor confidence amid speculation that the world's second-largest economy could spark a resurgence in global economic activity. This favorable environment proved to be a barrier for the dollar, which often gains when market anxieties are mounting and forecasts for global growth are weakening.

✕ EUR/USD Price Chart

UK inflation expected to increase

The market is reflecting mixed signals for this currency pair. Without changing the Bank of England (BoE) interest rate policy, own goals in c starting in April and force taxpayers to fork over an additional £5 billion or more to cover the increase in debt interest costs that results. The decision to reduce the household energy price guarantee and increase fuel taxes starting in April 2023 will result in higher inflation as measured by the consumer and retail price indices, which will automatically affect future government spending, particularly costs associated with debt servicing. Sterling pounds Live calculations indicate that these two factors will cause consumer price inflation to increase by an additional 1% in April and retail price index inflation to increase by 1.3%, both of which will raise the cost of servicing borrowings with inflation-linked interest rates by approximately £5BN.

✕ EUR/GBP Price Chart

AUD gave ground to most of its major currency counterparts

The Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA), the Federal Reserve (Fed), and the Bank of England will all be providing monetary policy commentary this week, so the Pound to Australian Dollar exchange rate has benefited from a corrective setback in AUD/USD that may keep Sterling buoyant above 1.7750 this week. The risk of new coronavirus-related economic closures in China weighed on asset prices throughout the Asia Pacific region as well as on the currencies of those countries exporting into the second-largest economy in the world, and Australia's dollar gave ground to most of its major currency counterparts to start the new week.

✕ AUD/GBP Price Chart

Sources: finance.yahoo.com, dailyfx.com, poundsterlinglive.com