BUZZ-COMMENT-EUR/USD bulls lack conviction to break out

Reuters · 6d ago
BUZZ-COMMENT-EUR/USD bulls lack conviction to break out

- EUR/USD traded in choppy fashion on Friday, with familiar hurdles at 1.12 proving resilient, though the slew of weaker data out of Europe has kept bulls cautious to chase upside from current levels, while the lack of appetite for the dollar has equally meant that dips in the pair have been shallow.

This is despite the growing risk of an October ECB rate cut, with money markets pricing in an 80% chance of a move. However, as shown in the chart below, better expressions of a more dovish ECB outlook have been against AUD, NZD and CHF.

Friday saw downside surprises in French and Spanish inflation data, which has set the tone for next week’s German and euro zone releases.

Softer prints, particularly services CPI, would not only prompt a further dovish repricing but also put the focus squarely on the more hawkish ECB members to gauge how open they are to a faster pace of easing.

A dovish turn would probably pave the way for a euro downside.

Again, this might be more evident on the crosses, since the dollar is likely to take its cue from the plethora of U.S. data ahead, which includes ISM surveys and payrolls, while a speech by Fed Chair Jerome Powell will also attract attention.

In any case, while EUR/USD has been leaning on range tops, the evident slowing in the euro area has meant that there is a low conviction for a topside breakout.


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(Justin McQueen is a Reuters market analyst. The views expressed are his own.)

((justin.mcqueen@thomsonreuters.com))