Trading News Events: U.S. Gross Domestic Product (GDP) - Slowest Pace of Growth Since the Contraction in 1Q 2014

A marked downward revision in the U.S. growth rate may generate a short-term rebound in EUR/USD should the preliminary 4Q Gross Domestic Product (GDP) report dampen bets for a mid-2015 Fed rate hike.

What’s Expected:

Why Is This Event Important:

Despite bets for higher borrowing-costs, further weakness in the core Personal Consumption Expenditure (PCE), the Fed’s preferred gauge for inflation, may push Chair Janet Yellen to endorse a wait-and-see approach and further delay the normalization cycle as the central bank struggles to achieve the 2% target for price growth.

Nevertheless, the uptick in private wages paired with the ongoing improvement in the labor market may foster a better-than-expected GDP report, and bets for a stronger recovery may heighten the bullish sentiment surrounding the U.S. dollar as the Fed remains on course to remove the zero-interest rate policy (ZIRP) over the near to medium-term.

How To Trade This Event Risk

Bearish USD Trade: Growth Rate Narrows to 2.0% or Lower

• Need to see green, five-minute candle following the GDP report to consider a long trade on EURUSD
• If market reaction favors a short dollar trade, buy EURUSD with two separate position
• Set stop at the near-by swing low/reasonable distance from entry; look for at least 1:1 risk-to-reward
• Move stop to entry on remaining position once initial target is hit; set reasonable limit

Bullish USD Trade: 4Q GDP Report Tops Market Expectations

• Need red, five-minute candle to favor a short EURUSD trade
• Implement same setup as the bearish dollar trade, just in reverse

Potential Price Targets For The Release
EUR/USD Daily Chart

• Break of the triangle/wedge formation favors a continuation of the bearish trend and the approach to ‘sell-bounces’ in EUR/USD.
• Interim Resistance: 1.1440 (23.6% retracement) to 1.1470 (78.6% expansion)
• Interim Support: 1.1185 (23.6% expansion) to 1.1210 (61.8% retracement)

Impact that the U.S. GDP report has had on EUR/USD during the last release

Period	Data Released	Estimate	Actual	Pips Change (1 Hour post event )	Pips Change (End of Day post event)
3Q P 2014	11/25/2014 13:30 GMT	3.3%	3.9%	+1	+47

The preliminary 3Q U.S. GDP report showed an unexpected upward revision in the growth rate, with the economy expanding an annualized 3.9% amid an initial forecast for a 3.5% clip. Personal Consumption also increased more than initially expected as the figure climbed 2.2% during the same period, while the core Personal Consumption Expenditure (PCE), the Fed’s preferred gauge for inflation, narrowed to an annualized 1.4% from 2.1% in the third-quarter. Despite the improved outlook for growth, the disinflationary environment may push the Fed to retain its highly accommodative policy stance for an extended period of time as it struggles to achieve the 2% target for inflation. The market reaction following the better-than-expected figures was short-lived as EUR/USD climbed back above the 1.2425 region to end the day at 1.2473.