Summary:
- Consumer confidence figures from the Eurozone decreased by 3.8 points.
- GBP seeks to continue strengthening against the Euro.
Eurozone forecast looks dismal
The market is reflecting bullish signals for this currency pair. The final consumer confidence figures from the Eurozone decreased by 3.8 points to -28.8 in September 2022, which was in line with initial projections and the lowest reading since the series' inception in 1985. The majority of factors, such as householders' appraisals of their past financial situations, outlooks on their future financial situations, plans to make significant purchases, and expectations regarding the state of the economy as a whole, all had a role in the sharp fall. A minor improvement in industrial mood could be fleeting given the future energy issues.
The eurozone's forecast for the remaining months of the year is still dismal. The geopolitical tension surrounding the alleged sabotage of Nord Stream has made matters worse, and the eurozone is currently debating its ninth round of penalties as a result. However, restrictions on Russian gas continue to be a divisive matter inside the EU, with the commission advising countries that a combination of measures is needed rather than merely market intervention. The eurozone would have wanted to avoid this additional anxiety as it gets ready for an uncertain winter.
EUR/USD Price Chart
Markets awaiting German inflation release
The market is reflecting bearish signals for this currency pair. In spite of easing pressures on UK bond markets and ongoing weakness in the Euro-Dollar exchange rate, the British Pound seeks to continue strengthening against the Euro. The inflation rate in North Rhine Westphalia, the most populated state in Germany, increased by 10.1% year over year in September, marking the highest increase since the early 1950s. This caused a decline in the value of the euro. The information raised concerns that German inflation data, which would be released later in the day, would confirm that the UK's stagflationary crisis is gripping Europe's largest economy as well. Separately, Germany’s network authority said gas use was well above average last week and urged homes and companies to make greater savings to avert a shortage this winter.
EUR/GBP Price Chart
US PCE update due
The market is reflecting bullish signals for this currency pair. As the Relative Strength Index (RSI) retreats from an extreme reading, the recent rally in USD/CAD appears to be coming to an end after clearing the high of July 2020 (1.3646). The core reading, the Fed's preferred measure of inflation, is forecast to increase to 4.7% in August from 4.6% per year in July, and signs of persistent price growth may force the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) to maintain its approach to combating inflation as the central bank pursues a restrictive policy. This could cause the US dollar to strengthen as a result of the US PCE update.
As a result, the US Dollar may continue to perform better than its Canadian counterpart because the Summary of Economic Projections (SEP) show a steeper path for the Fed Funds rate, and USD/CAD may show a bullish trend for the rest of the year because the Bank of Canada (BoC) appears to be on track to implement smaller rate hikes in the upcoming months.
USD/CAD Price Chart
Sources: finance.yahoo.com, dailyfx.com, poundsterlinglive.com
