US Dollar Forecast - The SNB’s decision to drop the EURCHF cap leveraged volatility and raised expectations of ECB stimulus
Volatility has been building for months and
currencies have been at the forefront of that development – the
short-term FX reading is at its highest level in three years. With the
SNB’s fireworks this past week, the appetite for safety has risen and
its outlets have diminished. Dependency on a global pool of stimulus is driven by new bouts of economic hardship and its limitations are more discernable.
If the ECB doesn’t fulfill expectations with the next infusion, it
could potentially trigger a correction in European markets that quickly
spreads through a susceptible global system.
Swiss Franc Forecast - SNB Shocker Fuels Highest Swiss Franc Volatility vs. Euro Since 1975
Measuring the fallout from the SNB’s actions is likely to be protracted however.The full breadth of the various ripple effects will probably emerge over weeks and months, not hours and days.The Franc now looks gravely overvalued against currencies whose central banks are set to tighten policy this year, with the US Dollar
standing out as particularly notable. It seems prudent to let the dust
settle before taking advantage of such opportunities however.
Japanese Yen Forecast - Nikkei (JPN225) Wedging Towards A Big Move
In turn, the December low (115.55) remains in focus
for USD/JPY as the pair continues to carve a string lower highs &
lows in January, and the technical outlook certainly highlights the risk
for a further decline in the exchange rate as the Relative Strength
Index (RSI) preserves the bearish momentum carried over from the
previous month.
Gold Forecast - Gold Faces Resistance up to 1263
The main event next week will be the European
Central Bank interest rate decision on Thursday where market
participants are looking for a major announcement. On the back of this
week’s shocking move from the SNB, speculation that the ECB will
announce its quantitative easing program has kept European equity
bourses afloat this week despite the losses seen state side. Should the
program underwhelm market participants, look for gold to remain
supported with the technical picture suggesting the medium-term outlook
remains constructive.