Press review - page 70

 

2014-01-09 12:45 GMT (or 13:45 MQ MT5 time) | [EUR - Interest Rate]

if actual > forecast = good for currency (for EUR in our case)

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ECB Leaves Interest Rates Unchanged For Second Month

The European Central Bank left its key interest rates unchanged for a second straight month on Thursday, in line with economists' expectations.

Following the meeting in Frankfurt, the Governing Council decided to hold the main refinancing rate at a record low 0.25 percent.

The marginal lending facility rate was held at 0.75 percent. The deposit facility rate was kept at zero, where it has remained since July 2012.

ECB: 2013
  • www.ecb.europa.eu
The ECB is the central bank for Europe's single currency, the euro. The ECB’s main task is to maintain the euro's purchasing power and thus price stability in the euro area.
 

2014-01-09 13:30 GMT (or 14:30 MQ MT5 time) | [EUR - ECB Press Conference]

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Live Video Coverage of ECB Press Conference with Mario Draghi - January 9, 2014

The ECB has left the benchmark rate unchanged at historic lows at .25%

Press conference following the meeting of the Governing Council of the European Central Bank on 9 January 2014 at its premises in Frankfurt am Main, Germany, starting at 2:30 p.m. CET:

  • Introductory statement by Mario Draghi, President of the ECB.
  • Question and answer session. Registered journalists pose questions to Mario Draghi, President of the ECB, and to Vítor Constâncio, Vice-President of the ECB.
ECB: Webcasts: ECB monetary policy decisions
ECB: Webcasts: ECB monetary policy decisions
  • www.ecb.europa.eu
At its first meeting each month the Governing Council of the ECB takes its monetary policy decision for the euro area. Shortly after the meeting, the President of the ECB explains the decision in an introductory statement. This is followed by a question-and-answer session with media...
 

2014-01-10 02:00 GMT (or 03:00 MQ MT5 time) | [CNY - Trade Balance]

if actual > forecast = good for currency (for CNY in our case)

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China Export Growth Misses Forecast, Trade Surplus Falls

China's exports growth eased more than expected in December, while imports beat expectations signaling robust domestic demand, the latest figures released by the General Administration of Customs showed Friday.

As a result, the trade surplus missed forecast sharply at the end of the year.

Exports grew 4.3 percent year-on-year in December, slower than a 5 percent expansion forecast by economists. The pace of growth decelerated sharply from November's 12.7 percent increase.

Meanwhile, import growth accelerated unexpectedly last month, taking the annual growth rate to 8.3 percent. This followed a 5.3 percent gain in November and exceeded forecasts for a 5 percent rise.

The trade balance showed a surplus of $25.6 billion, down from $33.8 billion in November and $32.15 billion surplus forecast.

In the whole year of 2013, exports recorded a gain of 7.9 percent compared with 2012. Imports rose 7.3 percent. The trade surplus for the year amounted to $259.75 billion.

The country's exports and imports value totaled $4.16 trillion last year, recording an increase of 7.6 percent from the previous year. Customs spokesman Zheng Yuesheng said that this was the first time the total value exceeded the $4 trillion-mark.

Home
  • ENGLISH
  • english.customs.gov.cn
Officers of Xiamen Gaoqi International Airport Customs House(affiliated to Xiamen Customs District) found 185 Cuoras from a consignment of Philippine goods declared as “Pelodiscus sinensis(Chinese Softshell Turtle)”. Officers of Nansha Customs House (affiliated to Guangzhou Customs District) said they had...
 

Trading the News: U.S. Non-Farm Payrolls (based on dailyfx article)

  • U.S. Non-Farm Payrolls to Climb 197K, Unemployment Rate to Hold at 7.0%
  • NFP Exceeded Market Expectations the Last Two Consecutive Prints

U.S. Non-Farm Payrolls (NFP) are projected to increase another 197K in December and a better-than-expected print may heighten the bullish outlook for the dollar as it raises the Fed’s scope to further normalize monetary policy over the coming months.

What’s Expected:

  • Time of release: 01/10/2014 13:30 GMT, 8:30 EST
  • Primary Pair Impact: EURUSD
  • Expected: 197K
  • Previous: 203K
  • Forecast: 190K to 210K




Why Is This Event Important:

A pickup in job growth may spur a further shift in the policy outlook as the Fed starts to wind down its asset-purchase program, and the central bank may take a more aggressive approach in moving away from its easing cycle as the economic recovery gathers pace.




How To Trade This Event Risk

Bullish USD Trade: NFP Rises 197K+; Unemployment Holds or Falls from 7.0%

  • Need to see red, five-minute candle following the print to consider a short trade on EURUSD
  • If market reaction favors a long dollar trade, sell EURUSD with two separate position
  • Set stop at the near-by swing high/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
Bearish USD Trade: U.S. Employment Falls Short of Market Forecast
  • Need green, five-minute candle to favor a long EURUSD trade
  • Implement same setup as the bullish dollar trade, just in the opposite direction
EURUSD to Resume 2008 Bear Trend on Strong Non-Farm Payrolls (NFP)
EURUSD to Resume 2008 Bear Trend on Strong Non-Farm Payrolls (NFP)
  • David Song
  • www.dailyfx.com
U.S. Non-Farm Payrolls (NFP) are projected to increase another 197K in December and a better-than-expected print may heighten the bullish outlook for the dollar as it raises the Fed’s scope to further normalize monetary policy over the coming months. A pickup in job growth may spur a further shift in the policy outlook as the Fed starts to...
 

2014-01-10 09:30 GMT (or 10:30 MQ MT5 time) | [GBP - Manufacturing Production]

if actual > forecast = good for currency (for GBP in our case)

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U.K. manufacturing production 0.0% vs. 0.4% forecast

Manufacturing production in the U.K. remained unchanged unexpectedly last month, official data showed on Friday.

In a report, National Statistics said that U.K. manufacturing production remained unchanged at a seasonally adjusted 0.0%, from 0.2% in the preceding month whose figure was revised down from 0.4%.

Analysts had expected U.K. manufacturing production to rise 0.4% last month.
 

Nonfarm Payrolls

This market is short the 18-member single currency both outright and on the crosses, and to be fair, probably a tad concerned after European Central Bank (ECB) President Mario Draghi’s press conference yesterday. Consensus expects the ECB to remain dovish, act dovish, but the timing of having to do anything dovish may have been pushed further out. Hence, there is no real need to rush out and dispense with one’s EUR on a yield basis just yet. However, these shorts are at risk from an NFP surprise. Market vulnerability rests with a weaker print.

Consensus is looking for a December NFP gain of +190k to 215k, and an unemployment rate at or close to last month’s +7% print. Investors seem to be buoyed by the recent activity indicators — retail sales, industrial production, and construction spending — they have all firmed. If we throw in small business hiring plans improving in recent months, and this week’s ADP figures, it is difficult not to be optimistic.

Dollar Moves Muted Ahead Of NFP
Dollar Moves Muted Ahead Of NFP
  • Dean Popplewell
  • www.forbes.com
The main event of the week is here: the release of U.S. employment data. Will today’s nonfarm payrolls (NFP) report prove to be the game changer that many are secretly hoping for? Foreign exchange (forex) investors are eager to see if the NFP data will show a dramatic jump in new jobs growth and quite possibly the biggest gain since the Great Recession ended. Many market watchers appear to have reserved their opinions ahead of the release – an unusual turn of events – while quietly expecting the best of outcomes. There seems to be a conviction for strong data, especially after this week's ADP high print. With the Federal Reserve declaring last month that it would begin to taper its asset purchases in January, investors are keen to see how a strong NFP report will impact the aggressiveness of the Fed’s bond-buying drawback.
 

EUR/USD halts decline ahead of important Gann level (based on dailyfx article)

  • EUR/USD stalled its decline after finding support just ahead of the 1.3540 3rd square root relationship of the 2013 high
  • Last week’s close below 1.3655 shifted our trend bias to negative in the rate
  • The 1.3540 area is key support, with weakness below needed to signal a broader downside resumption
  • The latter half of the month is the next medium-term cycle turn window
  • Only a daily close back over 1.3800 would turn us positive on the Euro again
Weekly Price & Time: USD/JPY Stalls at Important Long-Term Resistance
Weekly Price & Time: USD/JPY Stalls at Important Long-Term Resistance
  • Kristian Kerr
  • www.dailyfx.com
DailyFX provides forex news and technical analysis on the trends that influence the global currency markets. Learn forex trading with a free practice account and trading charts from FXCM.
 

Gold threatening to breach key Gann resistance (based on dailyfx article)

  • XAU/USD reversed from the 1184 161.8% extension of the October advance last week
  • However, our broader trend bias is negative in the metal while below the 2nd square root relationship of the 2012 low near 1250
  • Gann support at 1206 is important, but only weakness below 1184 will confirm that the downtrend is resuming
  • A medium-term cycle turn window is seen around the end of the month
  • A daily close over 1250 will turn us positive on the metal
Weekly Price & Time: USD/JPY Stalls at Important Long-Term Resistance
Weekly Price & Time: USD/JPY Stalls at Important Long-Term Resistance
  • Kristian Kerr
  • www.dailyfx.com
DailyFX provides forex news and technical analysis on the trends that influence the global currency markets. Learn forex trading with a free practice account and trading charts from FXCM.
 

Swiss National Bank (adapted from dailyfx article)

Understanding a Central Bank

To get a good grasp of any central bank, it’s helpful to know three things. First, you need to know what economic measure they find important and worth managing as a central bank, also referred to as key mandates. Second, it’s important to know when they are meeting next so that you can manage your trades accordingly. Third, it’s important to know what major undertakings the central bank is involved in which has dramatically affected their currencies value and at some point they may soon unwind which will also have extreme importance to the future value of the currency you’re looking to trade.

These three elements will be discussed in relation to the Swiss National Bank or SNB, so that you have a clear understanding on how your CHF based trades could be affected by the SNB in your trading future.
Key Economic Mandates of the SNB

The SNB has committed to focusing on three economic mandates that will guide their monetary policy decision making going forward. The key mandates are:

1. Price Stability

Since 2009, Price Stability of the Swiss Franc or CHF has the key focus of the three mandates to be discussed. The focus was thrust upon them because the CHF has historically be recognized as a financial Safe Haven, so in 2009 when the Euro Crisis began to hemorrhage, billions of dollars, euros, and other currencies flew into Switzerland seeking safety. This caused demand for CHF bonds to fetch higher and higher payment which boosted the value of the CHF to unsustainable levels for the SNB and forced their hand. As an economy that depends on exports, an expensive home currency made CHF-based goods less attractive to foreign buyers which help explains the SNB’s aggressive action of the EURCHF peg. Even in 2014, SNB President Jordan reaffirmed the necessity of the peg for the “foreseeable future”.

2. Medium-Term Inflation

Inflation is a key focus of any central bank and the SNB is no different. When borrowing is low and the economy is struggling, then a central bank will often look to the lower interest rates to boost incentives to borrow, which is often the quickest way to grow the economy. The SNB has recently tracked home prices to gauge domestic inflation majors. When inflation gets out of hand, the SNB will look to raise interest rates to limit inflation from getting out of control. The current inflation target is near 2.0%, however the current readings have been at 0.10% so they’re a good way from the target.

3. Steering the Interest Rate in the CHF Money Market, using the 3-Month LIBOR

Steering the interest rate is the key method of controlling inflation to meet the SNB targets. When SNB meets, they often discuss how inflation is progressing and if their hand is pushed due to out of desired range inflation, they may adjust their reference rate. As of early 2014, the reference rate has been near 0.0%

Future Challenges for SNB

In recent interviews, SNB President Jordan, has mentioned that the Franc cap, where EURCHF is tied to 1.2000, is a necessary tool for the Swiss economy to thrive going forward. Real estate inflation is beginning to creep up which would normally cause a central bank to raise interest rates, however the periphery economies that trade heavily with Switzerland are still in recovery mode which means that in many ways, the Swiss economy is still in recovery.

A Beginner’s Guide to Understanding the Swiss National Bank
A Beginner’s Guide to Understanding the Swiss National Bank
  • Tyler Yell
  • www.dailyfx.com
If you’re new to Forex, but are familiar with the Stock Markets, you can think of a Central Bank Meeting as the Forex equivalent of the Earnings Announcement. When a company announces their earnings, they’ll also get investors excited about upcoming opportunities that the company is looking to capitalize from. Conversely, if you remember...
 

USDCAD Technical Analysis (adapted from this article).

  • After a month of trading between roughly 1.0700 and 1.0560, USDCAD has broken out. Measured objectives from the breakout above the 2011 high range from 1.1680 to 1.1910. The Jul 2009 high rests in this zone at 1.1724 and the 2007 high is near the top of the zone at 1.1875.
  • From an Elliott perspective, it’s possible that the rally from the 2012 low composes a ‘3rd of a 3rd (or C)’ wave from the 2007 low. Such market swings tend to exhibit extreme rates of change (so please refrain from terms such as ‘overbought’ or ‘divergence’). Food for thought.
  • Levels that could trigger reactions are now (2006 low, 2010 high (circled), and trendline that extends off of the 2002 and 2009 highs), 1.1125 and 1.1460.


Trading Strategy: Staying long. I am looking to add to the trade. Support is estimated between 1.0775 and 1.0850 next week. Stop remains 1.0640.

USDCAD Just Getting Started; Shorter Term Setups in GBP Crosses
USDCAD Just Getting Started; Shorter Term Setups in GBP Crosses
  • Jamie Saettele, CMT
  • www.dailyfx.com
After a month of trading between roughly 1.0700 and 1.0560, USDCAD has broken out. Measured objectives from the breakout above the 2011 high range from 1.1680 to 1.1910. The Jul 2009 high rests in this zone at 1.1724 and the 2007 high is near the top of the zone at 1.1875. (or C)’ wave from the 2007 low. Such market swings tend to exhibit...