Focus Shifts from USD/JPY to EUR/USD Next Week
It has certainly been a busy week in the foreign exchange market with the dollar rising against most of the major currencies.
Sterling was the only currency to outperform the greenback and we'll
talk more about that later.USD/JPY was the primary focus with the
currency pair finally ending the week above 110. Many economists
expected the break of this key level to be driven by weak Japanese GDP
numbers but instead it was hawkish FOMC minutes that sent the dollar
soaring. The shift in market expectations for Fed tightening and the
confirmation from Fed Presidents is a significant development that has
shifted the market's appetite for dollars. We are not looking for the
Fed to raise interest rates but we certainly anticipate hawkish comments
from Yellen and an upbeat June FOMC statement. The dollar lost some of
its momentum towards at the end of the week and with a relatively light
U.S. calendar next week devoid of major market moving economic releases,
we could see choppy trading. Pullbacks can be bought particularly
versus the Yen in anticipation of a move towards 112.00 ahead of next
month's monetary policy announcement. The G7 also meets in Japan and the
prospect of more fiscal stimulus could keep pressure on the Yen.
Meanwhile the euro will finally get some love next week.
Compared to many of other major currencies, the decline in EUR/USD was
restrained this week by the lack of key economic data and comments from
European policymakers. That changes completely next week with May PMIs,
ZEW, IFO and German first quarter GDP numbers scheduled for release. The
ECB is in wait and see mode and the PMIs will go a long way in telling
us how quickly they will ease again. The currency pair has found support
at 1.12 this week and stronger numbers will confirm a bottom while a
soft report could drive the pair to fresh 1 month lows.
Like USD/JPY, USD/CAD also broke out strongly this past week but mixed data prevented a strong extension to the rally.
Retail sales fell sharply in March but core consumer prices increased
more than expected. CPI increased 0.3%, which was in line with
expectations but core prices rose 0.2% against 0.1% forecast. On
annualized basis, price pressure in Canada are rising which is slightly
at odds with the sharp drop reported by IVEY PMI. The Bank of Canada
meets next week and today's economic reports should leave their outlook
unchanged because spending is weaker but prices are rising. The last
time that we heard from the BoC, they left interest rates unchanged and
upgraded their 2016 GDP forecasts. Although CAD traders shrugged off
their positive assessment, this move reflected their optimism for the
domestic economy. The main caveat this time around is the wildfires in
Canada and how much it will impact Canadian GDP. Some economists believe
that the impact is negligible but others think it could stall growth in
Q2. We are sure the BoC has their own views that they could share or
allude to in their monetary policy statement.
The Australian dollar will also be in play. While there
are no major Australian economic reports on the calendar, RBA Governor
Glenn Stevens and Assistant Governor Debelle are scheduled to speak.
Overnight, comments from RBA board member Edwards triggered a brief
rally in AUD. He stated that any talk of lower inflation target was
"wildly premature" adding that RBA 2-3% range was always a flexible
number. The market interpreted this to mean that the central bank has no
immediate plans to ease again, which is consistent with the reluctance
expressed in the RBA minutes. The New Zealand dollar appears to be
moving in lockstep with AUD and with April trade data on the calendar
next week, it should take direction from the market's appetite for
commodities and the greenback.
Finally sterling was the only currency to outperform the greenback this week.
Brexit polls continue to dominate trade with earlier polls showing more
support for Remain sending GBP sharply higher and today's TNS online
poll showing more support for Leave driving the currency lower. With
just over 1 month to go before the EU referendum at the end of June,
these opinion surveys will continue to have a significant impact on the
pound. If the gap grows in favor of remaining in the European Union,
short sellers will start to cover their positions but if the gap remains
extremely close, we can expect more two action in the British pound.
While we ultimately believe that Britons will vote to stay, we are still
looking for significant uncertainty ahead of the referendum with the
risk for pound skewed to the downside. With that in mind, it is worth
noting that this week's economic reports provide a glimmer of hope for
sterling bulls. Earnings are on the rise and consumer spending increased
strongly in the month of April. Public sector finances and revisions to
first quarter GDP numbers are the only event risks on next week's U.K.
calendar which means that politics will continue to be the primary
driver of sterling trade.
