Eurozone Confidence Declining (EUR/USD), GBP Under Pressure (EUR/GBP)

Summary:

• The Euro continues its battle with the US Dollar.
• UK's trillion-pound debt markets are buckling under the weight of further Bank of England interventions.
• Sterling found support early in the new week against the CAD.

Euro on the decline as recession fears persist

The market is reflecting bearish signals for this currency pair. The Euro's battle with the dollar continued into the new week as a risk-off mindset and increasing yields put the dollar in the lead. We witnessed a spike in geopolitical tensions between Russia and Ukraine as a result of a number of missile attacks that Russian President Vladimir Putin said were in response for the bombing of a bridge that connects Russia to the Crimean Peninsula. As recession fears persist, confidence in the Eurozone keeps declining. Another 75bp increase from the European Central Bank (ECB) is still anticipated later this month, which is necessary given the most recent double-digit inflation reading.

Regarding the rate hike path required to control inflation, US Fed policymakers last week seemed to be singing from the same hymn book. Lael Brainard and Charles Evans, two well-known doves, yesterday broke with the rhetoric and used a tad more dovish language.

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EUR/USD Price Chart

GBP is under pressure

The market is reflecting mixed signals for this currency pair. The British pound is under pressure amid indications that the UK's trillion-pound debt markets are buckling under the weight of further Bank of England interventions. The Bank of England said on Tuesday that index-linked gilts will now be a part of its expanded gilt purchasing program. Given that UK RPI inflation was 12.3% in August, these gilts (UK government bonds) are understandably becoming more expensive for the government. But considering that the new administration decided to spend a lot of money on subsidizing family energy costs while simultaneously lowering taxes, the UK's bond market has suffered more than others.

✕ EUR/GBP Price Chart

GBP supported against the CAD

The rise in the Pound to Canadian Dollar exchange rate that began in the month of October has since experienced a corrective decline, but Sterling found support early in the new week just above the 1.51 handle and may now be expected to temporarily consolidate its recovery. If Sterling continues to accept the most recent developments in the UK government bond market, where the Bank of England (BoE) has been providing emergency liquidity to address issues related with some pension funds, it may find more support this week around the latter level.

✕ GBP/CAD Price Chart

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