EUR/USD. February 3, 2021 – Euro near 2-month lows

The euro continues to decline paired with the dollar, reaching 1.20. The last time the single currency traded at such levels was at the beginning of December 2020. The weak rates of vaccination in Europe and the ECB's dissatisfaction with the high rate of the European currency remain negative factors for the euro. The regulator noted that it is closely monitoring the dynamics of the exchange rate and does not exclude a decrease in the rate on deposits, if this will help to accelerate inflation.

Macroeconomic indicators of the euro area are also not encouraging. Although earlier data on GDP for the IV quarter showed a decrease in the economy by 0.7% (q / q) and by 5.1% on an annualized basis, which turned out to be better than forecasts (a decrease by 0.9% and 5.4%, respectively).

Today we should pay attention to the report of the American labor market from ADP, as well as the index of business activity in the service sector ISM. Experts do not expect strong indicators, which may provoke a weakening of the dollar. Moreover, today's statistics may influence the decision in the Congress on incentives, which, if the package of assistance measures is approved, will entail further sales of the American currency.

EUR/USD. February 05, 2021 – Euro keeps updating new lows

The euro continues to decline at the end of the first week of February: the current quotation of the EUR/USD pair is 1.1950. The main pressure on the European currency rate is exerted by weak economic indicators from Europe and pessimistic forecasts regarding further economic recovery due to the preservation of lockdown regimes in some eurozone countries.

At the same time, the US dollar was supported by yesterday's data on the number of applications for unemployment benefits: the figure fell to 779 thousand against the forecast of 828 thousand and the previous value of 812 thousand. Such figures are a very positive signal for the American economy.

Today it is worth paying attention to the publication of data on the employment market for January. The forecast assumes that unemployment will remain unchanged at 6.7%, and the number of jobs outside the agricultural sector will increase by 85 thousand after a decline in December by 140 thousand. Average hourly wages may rise by 0.3% m/m after the previous growth of 0.8%. Thus, the stronger this statistic is, the more confident the dollar will feel.

EUR/USD. February 09, 2021 – Euro is stable around 1.2100

The euro continues to trade in the area of local highs near 1.2100. The European currency is growing, despite weak statistics from the eurozone. Sentix investor confidence index in February fell to -0.2 points against 1.3 in January. At the same time, the forecast assumed an increase to 4.1 points.

Data from Germany also turned out to be worse than forecasted: the statistics on industrial production reflected a zero change in the indicator against the forecast of growth by 0.1% m/m and the previous fact of increase by 1.5%.

So, we can say that the EUR/USD pair is growing mainly due to the general weakness of the US dollar in the Forex market. The American currency is weakening amid the process of adopting the stimulus package in the United States. Some days before, a bill was passed to approve Joe Biden's $1.9 trillion anti-crisis program without Republican support in the Senate.

Today the macroeconomic calendar is empty, so the pair will move moderately near the 1.2100 level.

EUR/USD. 11.02 | European currency continues to dominate

The euro/dollar continues to maintain potential for growth: the current quotation of the pair is 1.2125.

Inflation statistics were released yesterday: US CPI rose 0.3% mom in January, in line with forecasts after expanding 0.4% mom in December. Annual inflation is estimated at 1.4% against 1.5% earlier. The core consumer price index did not change at the beginning of the year.

The head of the US Federal Reserve System also made a speech yesterday. Jerome Powell noted that plans for a global stimulus remain unchanged. This suggests that nothing threatens interest rates for a long time. Moreover, the regulator hinted that inflation could exceed the target level of 2%, and this is quite acceptable, since the economy should try to grow on its own.

Today the macroeconomic calendar is not rich in publications. Attention should be paid only to the weekly report on the number of applications for unemployment benefits, which may support the position of the greenback.

GBP/USD. February 11, 2021 – The pair is stable above 1.38 level

On Thursday, the pound declines moderately from highs near 1.3870 to 1.3800.

The recent strengthening of the British currency was supported by the growing demand for risky assets and the general weakening of the US dollar amid expectations of a decision on fiscal stimulus. Market participants are almost certain that the program proposed by Joe Biden will get approval in Congress anyway, despite the resistance of the Republicans, who demand a reduction in the aid package.

The dollar is also under pressure after Jerome Powell's speech yesterday. The head of the Fed said that it may take years for the full recovery of the labor market, as the consequences of the pandemic turned out to be more devastating than initial forecasts. Powell also noted that the regulator does not intend to abandon the course of super-soft monetary policy.

Today the macroeconomic calendar is not rich in publications. Attention should be paid only to the data on the number of initial applications for unemployment benefits in the United States. And tomorrow will be published reports on the dynamics of British GDP and industrial production data. The economy is expected to grow 0.5% qoq in Q4 2020. Industrial production may show the same growth of 0.5% in December last year.

EUR/USD. February 15, 2021 – Euro is stable at local highs

The EUR/USD pair continues to hold in positive territory above the 1.2100 level. The current quotation of the asset is 1.2135.

Today in the United States is a day off in honor of the President's Day, so the day promises to be calm. From economic statistics, it is worth highlighting only the publication on industrial production in January in the euro area: the decline in industrial production amounted to 1.6% after an increase of 2.6% mom in December. In addition, a meeting of the Eurozone finance ministers kicks off today. And Germany will publish a monthly economic report.

Friday's statistics from the US showed that the consumer confidence index from the University of Michigan fell to 76.2 points in February against the previous value of 79.0 and the forecast of growth to 80.8 points. Such indicators are the lowest for the last six months. The index of current economic conditions reflected a decline to 86.2 points in February from 86.7 in January. Thus, the US dollar will continue to weaken tomorrow, after the weekend.

GBP/USD. February 17, 2021 – Sterling started to decline from highs

On Wednesday, the GBP/USD pair declines moderately from 1.3950. The current quote for the asset is 1.3890.

The driver of the pound's decline was the strengthening of the US dollar in the market, which received support from a sharp rise in the yield of US debt bonds. However, the British currency does not intend to give up primacy so easily: the sterling receives strong support from the high rates of vaccination in the UK. Experts note that the rate of vaccination of the country's population is much higher than the world average.

Today you should pay attention to the publication of inflation data in Britain. The consumer price index in monthly terms decreased by 0.2%, which turned out to be better than the forecast of decline by 0.4%. Annual inflation in January accelerated to 0.7% from 0.6% in December. Also of interest are data on the price index of British producers: the indicator rose by 0.7%, while analysts predicted growth of 0.5%.

In the US, statistics on producer prices will be published in the same way, as well as on the volume of retail sales. In the evening hours, it is worth paying attention to the data on the volume of industrial production and the publication of the FOMC minutes.

EUR/USD. February 19, 2021 – Euro returns to growth

The EUR/USD pair is again approaching highs: the current quotation of the asset is 1.2140. The pressure on the dollar was exerted by yesterday's data on the number of claims for unemployment benefits in the United States: the indicator rose to 861 thousand against expectations of a decrease to 775 thousand. Such statistics indicate that the labor market in the United States remains unstable.

The data on the real estate market in January was also mixed. The number of building permits issued rose to 1.88 million from 1.70 million, while the number of new home starts fell to 1.58 million from the December level of 1.68 million. American businesses are still uncertain about future demand, despite low interest rates.

Today the macroeconomic calendar is quite diverse. The eurozone presented a preliminary index of business activity in the manufacturing sector for February: the indicator rose to 57.7 (better than the forecast of 54.3 points). A similar index in the service sector fell short of forecasts, falling to 44.7 points against growth expectations to 45.9.

In the evening hours, data on business activity will be presented by the United States. You should also pay attention to the important indicator of sales in the secondary housing market in January, which can demonstrate a local decline in the indicator. The Fed's monetary policy report will be released late in the evening.

GBP/USD. February 24, 2021 – Sterling renews three-year high

The pound sterling continues to confidently renew highs, rising above the 1.42 level. The current quote for the GBP/USD pair is 1.4172. The last time such values were observed at the beginning of January 2018.

The currency was supported by the speech of British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who noted that he was satisfied with the rate of vaccination and the general epidemiological situation. The prime minister also announced a reduction in quarantine restrictions from March 8. Note that the rate of vaccination in the country today remains the fastest in the world.

Additional support for the British currency was provided by yesterday's data on the labor market in the UK. According to the United Kingdom Office for National Statistics, the unemployment rate rose from 5% to 5.1% in December, better than expected to rise to 5.2%. The number of applications for unemployment benefits fell by 20 thousand against the projected growth of 35 thousand. The average level of wages, taking into account bonuses, increased by 4.7%, experts had expected an increase of 4.1%.

Today you should pay attention to the inflation report from the Bank of England: as a rule, on its basis, the regulator decides on the further course of monetary policy.

Brent. February 26, 2021 – «Black gold» is losing ground

The oil market began to correct: Brent quotes fell on Friday to $64.90 per barrel. Earlier, oil strengthened amid comments from the Fed about keeping interest rates at extremely low levels for a long time, until the regulator sees a noticeable improvement in the situation in the US economy. Additional support for oil quotes was provided by signs of recovery in energy demand, as well as a reduction in oil reserves in the United States. Since the peak levels of US crude oil inventories in June 2020, they have dropped by more than 90 million barrels, according to the latest figures from the US Department of Energy.

However, despite the positive external background, Brent still started to decline. The sell-off was driven by a general deterioration in market sentiment, which triggered a risk aversion for investors. Additional concerns are raised by the upcoming OPEC+ meeting next week, which is expected to change oil production quotas from April. Experts predict that the organization could discuss an increase in production by 500 thousand barrels per day.

It is worth noting that at the upcoming meeting, Saudi Arabia may announce the cancellation of the unilateral commitment to further cut production. And this could return another 1 million barrels of oil a day to the market. Thus, under these conditions, the decline in «black gold» may continue to $60 per barrel.

EUR/USD. February 26, 2021 – Euro fell to the level of 1.2100

On Friday, the euro began to correct, falling to the level of 1.2100. The dollar was supported by macroeconomic statistics from the United States: data on the volume of orders for durable goods in January reflected an indicator growth of 3.4% y/y, expecting an expansion of 0.9% m/m and the previous fact of a rise of 0.5% m/m.

GDP statistics for the IV quarter came out neutral: the economy grew by 4.1% against the forecast of growth by 4.2% and the previous estimate at 4.0%.

Positive news came from the employment market as well. The weekly report on the number of applications for unemployment benefits in the United States reflected a decrease in the indicator to 730 thousand against last week's data at 841 thousand and forecasts of about 828 thousand.

Today you should pay attention to the parameters of personal expenses and income of Americans for January. In terms of income, an increase of 9.4% is expected. In addition, the final value of the consumer confidence index from the University of Michigan for February will be published. If the data does not disappoint again, the dollar will continue to strengthen.

USD/CAD. March 02, 2021 – Loonie weakens amid sales in the oil market

The USD/CAD pair dropped to the key support level of 1.25, which was already an obstacle in the way of the «bears» in 2016 and 2018. In 2021, the asset again failed to gain a foothold below this level and bounced off it, breaking through the resistance level of 1.27. The current quote for the pair is 1.2670.

The Canadian dollar was supported by a strong rise in oil prices to $66.75 per barrel last week. However, today oil is showing a correction, which also puts pressure on the CAD rate.

At the same time, the US dollar is receiving support from growing Treasury yields and positive economic statistics. In particular, in January, orders for durable goods grew by 1.4%, GDP in the IV quarter added 4.1%, and the number of applications for unemployment benefits amounted to 730 thousand, which is below forecasts.

Also, the dynamics of the dollar was influenced by the agreement in the US House of Representatives of Biden's proposed fiscal stimulus package in the amount of $1.9 trillion. Now the document must be approved by the Senate, and only then will it go to the president for signature.

On Tuesday, the RSI indicator is consolidating in the neutral zone, which signals the formation of a flat below the level of 1.27.

GBP/USD. March 04, 2021 | Pound falls on weak statistics

The British pound weakened slightly during the trading session on Thursday. The current quote for the GBP/USD pair is 1.3950.

The pound was pressured by the weak macroeconomic data from Great Britain published yesterday. The index of business activity in the services sector in February fell from 49.7 to 49.5 points, and did not reach the level of 50 points. An additional driver of sales was the presentation of the UK budget, which provides for an increase in corporate taxes from 19% to 25% in order to combat the growing national debt of the country (2.1 trillion pounds). Also, the government will suspend the income tax thresholds until 2026.

Economic statistics from the United States came out ambiguous. In particular, the index of business activity in the service sector from Markit rose from 58.9 to 59.8 points, while the similar index from ISM, on the contrary, fell sharply from 58.7 to 55.3 points.

The markets were also somewhat disappointed by the ADP report on employment in the US private sector, which reflected the growth of jobs only by 117 thousand in February after increasing by 195 thousand in January. Today the focus is on the speech of the head of the US Federal Reserve Jerome Powell, as well as statistics on the dynamics of applications for unemployment benefits in the US.

EUR/USD. March 4, 2021 – Consolidation at 1.2050

The EUR/USD pair continues to trade within the 1.20-1.21 range. The current quote for the asset is 1.2050. Yesterday, the yield on US government bonds rose sharply, which contributed to the strengthening of the US dollar across the entire spectrum of the market.

However, the further rally of the dollar remains questionable, and the blame is weak macroeconomic statistics. According to the ADP, the economy created just 117,000 new jobs in February, which is significantly less than the forecast of 177,000. Activity in the service sector also slowed: the ISM index fell from 58.7 to 55.3 points. Today we should pay attention to the release of data on applications for unemployment benefits, it is expected that the figure will once again decline.

Also important will be the statistics from the eurozone, which can exert strong pressure on the euro. The 0.6% growth in retail sales in Europe is expected to be followed by a 1.2% decline. In other words, consumer prices have finally begun to rise, while sales have plummeted. This indicates the instability of inflationary processes in the region, and Europe may once again slide into deflation.

The RSI indicator has consolidated in the neutral zone, which signals the continuation of the sideways trend at 1.2050 until the release of economic statistics, which will determine the further direction of movement of the EUR/USD pair.

EUR/USD. March 9, 2021 | Euro falls to 1.1830 after US Senate stimulus package

The US dollar continues to strengthen in the market, the current quotation of the EUR/USD pair is 1.1865. The American currency was supported by the adoption by the US Senate of the stimulus project in the amount of $1.9 trillion on Sunday. Trades in America are quite volatile due to fears of rising inflation, which may accelerate against the backdrop of new infusions of funds.

The EUR/USD pair may become one of the most vulnerable pairs this week. Moreover, the increased demand for the dollar and the «dovish» rhetoric of the European Central Bank may lead it to new 4-month lows.

In addition, the unexpected slowdown in industrial production in Germany from 1.9% to -2.5% also exerted strong pressure on the single currency. And combined with the low rates of vaccination, the protracted quarantine and the growth in the profitability of the public debt in Europe, this does not bode well for the euro.

Today it is worth paying attention to the third estimate of the eurozone's GDP, which should once again show an acceleration in the rate of economic decline from -4.3% to -5.0%. However, the two previous estimates showed the same results, and this fact is already incorporated into the value of the European currency. Therefore, we do not expect any strong movements during the day, and the pair will continue to trade in the area of local minimums.