Date : 11th March 2015

EURGBP SETUPS HAVE MADE HUNDREDS OF PIPS.

We got it right again in EURGBP. The pair rallied to a resistance level I gave in my last analysis and has then sold off heavily. My view on March 2nd EURGBP analysis was that out of major EUR crosses, it is the EURGBP that is the weakest and therefore makes it an ideal market to sell the rallies. I wrote then that the zone from 0.7300 to 0.7314 is an area we should be looking for momentum reversal signals as the channel midline and the upper Bollinger Bands coincide with the zone. EURGBP rose to 0.7301 on that day and has since dropped over 200 pips. We have now had two very good sell signals in EURGBP lately. The first sell signal as per my analysis came at just below 0.7596 and now the other in proximity of 0.7301. My analysis and the signals that I teach in my webinars have made several hundred pips in EURGBP for our traders. If you would like to learn how to catch moves like this you are welcome to join me to free webinars here.

As the EURGBP is basically collapsing at the time of writing the weekly picture does not provide us with a lot to analyse. With trend lower indicators are oversold and price is hugging the lower Bollinger Bands. The nearest weekly support and resistance levels are 0.7022 a former resistance level from 2006 and 2007 and the last week’s low at 0.7183.

EURGBP, Daily

Price has extended below the regression channel and has for the first time since January 26th closed outside the lower Bollinger Bands. This suggests that the trend has moved too far too quickly. This increases probabilities for a corrective move against the prevailing trend over the coming few days.

EURGBP, 240 min

EURGBP trend is extended in 4h chart as well. In case there will be a move against the trend over the coming few days potential resistance levels that could turn price lower again are 0.7130 and 0.7180. The lower level is clearly a minor resistance level as it is a spot where price tried to hold the channel bottom. This caused a sideways move visible in the 60 min chart and could act as a resistance should the market be weak.

Conclusion:

As long as the market keeps on moving lower and there is no price based evidence to the contrary there is no hurry to close the short trades. Exception to this would be price hitting the 0.7022 support level which could well bounce the price higher and therefore is a logical target level. Price is in a downtrend and we should be looking to sell rallies as long as the approach works. However, once the 0.7022 target is hit the pair is at a major consolidation level and selling rallies might get trickier. Currently I am looking at 0.7130 and 0.7180 as potential shorting levels in case there is a rally higher and 0.7022 area as a target for short trades.

Join me on Live Analysis Webinar on Tuesday 17th of March at 12:30 pm GMT. Register HERE for FREE and as usual it is better to log in early to get your seat!

Janne Muta
Chief Market Analyst
HotForex

Disclaimer: Nothing in this communication contains, or should be considered as containing, an investment advice or an investment recommendation or a solicitation for the purpose of purchase or sale of any financial instrument.

Date : 16th March 2015

COPPER’S RELATIVE STRENGHT DUE TO CHINA.

Copper is in a long term bear channel and moved in February to a level that has supported price in the past. This was also the first time since year 2008 that Money Flow Index moved into overbought zone in Monthly timeframe. In February 2007 price touched 2.40 level and moved higher over the next two years. Now there was another bounce from the same level and the price of Copper is on the rise for the second month in a row. The nearest resistance level is approx. at 2.72 while the next major resistance is at 2.88.

Copper, Weekly

Copper (an industrial metal) has been stronger performer than precious metals since the latest US Jobs report came in with a surprisingly high number and strenhgtened the US dollar. While Gold and Silver have declined by almost 3% since March 5th Copper has at the time of writing gained 1.1%. However, the US rate hike expectations mean the US dollar strengthens and buying power amongst non-USD based investors decreases for dollar based assets such as Copper. This combined with slowing economic growth in China slows down the Copper bulls and has caused the price to fluctuate below resistance levels. On the other the hand price has held up and even edged higher as market participants believe that easier lending conditions should improve demand in China, the biggest consumer of Copper globally. The price of copper has made two weekly lower highs since touching the 2.72 resistance level (a former support from June 2010) while the MFI (7) is overbought and Stochastics are close to the same levels and hinting that the momentum is waning. This could lead to further fluctuation between the 2.59 support and a high of 2.73 from couple of weeks ago. Other support levels are 2.55 and 2.40, a high and low of the January pivot candle high and low.

Copper, Daily

The price of copper is near to the upper Bollinger Bands and Stochastics is getting overbought. Price has just recently bounced from a support at 2.59 forming yet another higher low. This was technically a good sign as it confirmed the level that used to resist price moves higher is now a support. The fact that this level now coincides with the lower daily Bollinger Bands makes it more significant support area.

Conclusion:

Fundamental factors that both support the price of Copper and resist its move higher translate into a ranging market, price action that honours the technical levels at both ends of the range. Levels near to 2.59 support level used to resist moves higher and are now providing support while the move to 2.72 resistance was rejected. This suggests that short term traders should look for trade opportunities at or close to these levels while longer term position traders might want to consider longs closer to the 2.40 support and shorts closer to the 2.88 resistance levels.  This is the likely range copper futures over the coming weeks and months as major news stories or surprises on either the US Federal Reserve’s rate policy  or Chinese consumption of Copper they might provide the trigger to move the price of Copper to these levels. Chinese premier Li Keqiang commented that the government will be ready to support the Chinese economy should the slowdown in growth affect employment and incomes. He wasn’t specific on the measures the government might use but a hope of economic stimulus in China should support the price of Copper. Against this backdrop traders might want to be buyers near support levels rather than trying to find shorts. This view would be negated if the US Fed indicated that it would hike rates more than expected. However, it is likely that the Fed will be cautious in raising rates.

Join me on Live Analysis Webinar on Tuesday 17th of March at 12:30 pm GMT. Register HERE for FREE and as usual it is better to log in early to get your seat!

Janne Muta
Chief Market Analyst
HotForex

Disclaimer: Nothing in this communication contains, or should be considered as containing, an investment advice or an investment recommendation or a solicitation for the purpose of purchase or sale of any financial instrument.

Date : 25th March 2015

EURUSD: A DAILY SHOOTING STAR POINTING TO DOWNSIDE.

EURUSD has risen over the last two weeks after the Fed Chair Yellen said in her statement that there are worries over the export growth in the US economy due to the strong dollar. Yesterday’s new home sales and CPI figures could didn’t help the pair to push through the resistance at 1.1040.

The dollar rallied in the aftermath of the warmer U.S. inflation report, quickly sold off from there, then dragged itself up through the remainder of the morning session. EURUSD fell to 1.0936 from 1.0995 after the CPI data, before climbing to session highs of 1.1029, and then falling to session lows of 1.0890. U.S. new home sales rebounded 7.8% to 539k in February, much better than expected and the strongest since April 2008. Back months were revised with January boosted to 500k from 481k previously, while December’s 482k was nudged down to 479k. The February overall-CPI was 0.2% (median 0.2%), while the core index was 0.2% (median 0.1%). Year over year growth accelerated to unchanged from -0.1% and the core y/y growth held at 1.7%. January’s was the slowest pace of y/y growth since -0.2% in October ’09. Energy prices grew 1.0%, with a 2.4% gasoline price increase. Food prices were 0.2% after after remaining unchanged last month.

The monthly chart reveals an important trendline support in the region of the recent bounce from 1.0459. This could be a supporting element that keeps the pair from plummeting to parity for some time, especially so if the Fed continues using dovish language in their statements. Important weekly support level in the weekly chart is at 1.0459 while the resistance levels are at 1.1098 and 1.1460.

EURUSD, Daily

A daily shooting star candle suggests the pair will move lower today. High Stochastics value supports the view. If the market rallies today levels closer to yesterday’s high would be attractive shorting levels.Support area from 1.0460 to 1.0620 is a reasonable target but it would make sense to close the short trades as price approaches the level at some 20 pips higher.

EURUSD, 240 min

The pair has moved sideways above the 1.0883 support and over the last two candles below the ascending trendline. The 4h Bollinger Bands (currently at 1.0988 and 1.0240) would be preferable shorting levels but should the support break before price rallies, then smaller timeframe price action should be used to enter the short trades as per my teaching in the webinars.

EURUSD, 60 min

The resistance (red line) at 1.0938 has been resisting moves higher this morning while EURUSD has made higher lows above the lower Bollinger Bands. This suggests that pressure is building against the 1.0938 minor resistance level and price might well rally towards the potential sell area at 4h Bollinger Bands.

Conclusion:

Price reacting lower from a resistance and creating a Shooting Star candle indicates weakness. However, price trading at support and creating higher lows suggests that price might well move higher today and provide an opportunity to look for short signals at 4h Bollinger Bands.

Janne Muta
Chief Market Analyst
HotForex

Disclaimer: Nothing in this communication contains, or should be considered as containing, an investment advice or an investment recommendation or a solicitation for the purpose of purchase or sale of any financial instrument.

Date : 26th March 2015

S&P 500 AT SUPPORT AFTER 4.67% DROP IN SMH.

The US stock market declined for a third day in a row yesterday. Dow Jones Industrial Average lost 1.62% while Nasdaq and S&P 500 declined by 2.37% and -1.46% respectively. This has impacted the Asian and European markets today with Nikkei 225 futures in the red by 1.54% Dax futures down by 2.01% at the time of writing.  US equity volatility index VIX shot higher yesterday. VIX moved up to 15.44 as NASDAQ -1.6% was sucking the S&P 500 into negative territory. VIX is well up from the previous session lows 12.59. In proximity of the mid-March range index will be hitting the daily Bollinger Bands.

S&P 500 e-mini futures, daily

RSI is indicating that the weekly S&P trend is getting weaker. Momentum has slowed down since December last year and this has led to RSI creating lower highs while the S&P e-mini futures (ES) made and all-time high in February. ES has now created a lower weekly high and retraced back to the 50% Fibonacci level at 2040.

S&P 500 e-mini futures, daily

ES created a lower high just below the weekly pivot candle and is currently trading at the daily Bollinger Bands and 50% Fibonacci level. This level also coincides with a daily pivot candle from March 13th. Stochastics is getting oversold but a lower high at 2100 is a sign of weakness and could mean that this market moves lower before finding support.

S&P 500 e-mini futures, daily

Here’s another look at the daily chart with a perspective a bit further away. With ES not being able to move above the February high price has created a bearish wedge is currently moving outside the wedge formation. If current support at 2032 breaks it could mean that the trajectory has changed and we will have a new less steep trend channel that defines the moves over the coming weeks. This would bring the grey trendline into play. Also, should the price stay below the black trendline technical picture would deteriorate substantially.

Semiconductor Sector ETF (SMH), Daily

Analysis on US sectors reveals that over the last 10 trading days professional money has been moving away from Financials and Industrials and into Utilities and Health Care stocks. This of course is a bearish fact suggesting that the long only fund managers see the market being weak and feel the need to do what they can to minimize the market impact as they cannot hedge their positions with derivatives. The massive drop in the Semiconductor stocks after a lower high in the index ETF supports this view. However, the support area is getting also relatively close suggesting that the market is not likely to continue in a free fall but will find support over the coming few days. As futures have declined today it is possible that these stocks will open fairly close to the support levels. Picture in the technology and industrials sector ETFs is somewhat similar indicating that they have a bit further to fall before they meet potential support levels.

S&P 500 e-mini futures, 240 min

The down move paused at the rising trendline but the selling pressure prevailed. ES is now approaching the 2032 low with oscillators deeply in the overbought territory and has reacted higher from the support level.

Conclusion:

At the time of writing ES is trading at a support level and it remains to be seen if the traders are willing to seriously bid for the market here. Support levels usually lead to at least some sort of rallies but there needs to be follow-through after the initial reaction. In that sense nearby resistance levels can be problematic as they tend to invite selling. There is a resistance level at 2052 while the violated trendline is at 2050. In addition, the 4.67% drop in the Semiconductor stocks could make the market participants careful today. The wedge formation is pretty much violated after today’s move lower. Only if we see a strong rally higher and a close inside the formation is the technical picture salvaged.

Janne Muta
Chief Market Analyst
HotForex

Disclaimer: Nothing in this communication contains, or should be considered as containing, an investment advice or an investment recommendation or a solicitation for the purpose of purchase or sale of any financial instrument.

Date : 30th March 2015

WEEKLY HAMMER AT SUPPORT SEND USDCAD HIGHER.

USDCAD (weekly) has been moving sideways since the beginning of February. The proximity of the year 2009 high has caused the sideways move. I suggested in my analysis at the time that USDCAD should move above the latest highs as US economy is stronger than the economy in Canada. The fact that USDCAD has maintained the support well and has now created a weekly hammer candle at the support supports my view. Bears might point out that Stochastics oscillator and RSI (7) have created lower highs and therefore signal that the momentum is waning. This however, is what happens each time price moves sideways. Therefore, oscillators do not tell us anything we wouldn’t know by reading price action. Nearest support and resistance levels are at 1.2409 and 1.2835. The year 2009 high at 1.3064 would be the next major resistance once price moves beyond the 1.2835.

USDCAD, Daily

Price action in the daily chart points to the upside. USDCAD has found support from the area near the 38.2% Fibonacci level and the lower Bollinger Bands. Last week Stochastics moved to oversold territory and the 50 day moving average catched up with the price. Friday’s close well above the hammer candle high was a bullish sign and created a hammer candle in the weekly chart as well.

USDCAD, 240

After being held back by the 50% Fibonacci level and a pivot high price is now breaking higher. This is very much in line with the bullishness in daily and weekly charts. The pair broken out of the wedge formation and projection from the formation points to the resistance zone between 1.2724 and 1.2760. Support levels are at 1.2621, 1.2531 and 1.2409.

Conclusion:
Long term technical picture is bullish as institutional buying has created a hammer candle at the support. The latest weekly low was also higher than the pivot low in the weekly chart from the mid February. Short term picture supports this as price has broken out of a wedge formation in the 4h chart and has closed above the Friday’s daily hammer candle. As the setup in the higher time frames is favourable I am looking for pullbacks to technical levels at 60 and 15 min charts. The range at 1.2724 – 1.2760 is my target for this price move.

Janne Muta
Chief Market Analyst
HotForex

Disclaimer: Nothing in this communication contains, or should be considered as containing, an investment advice or an investment recommendation or a solicitation for the purpose of purchase or sale of any financial instrument.

Date : 2nd April 2015

UK CONSTRUCTION PMI BELOW EXPECTATIONS.

GBPAUD reached a historical resistance at 1.9697 (a spring 2009 low) in February and has since reacted lower from this level. Over the last two weeks the pair has been rallying strongly and is nearing the resistance area again. Fundamentals and the strong weekly trend support the bids in GBPAUD but price has rallied strongly and reached a potential resistance level. Therefore it pays to monitor the market more closely and time the entries at support levels in pullbacks.

Sterling has been trending higher against the Australian dollar as it is likely that the Reserve Bank of Australia will cut the interest rates either in April or May while the UK economy is rather strong.  A recent editorial in The Australian that said “a cut in interest rates either next month or in May is a virtual certainty,”. A 25 basis points cut at the May policy review is likely, which would take the cash rate to a record low 2.0%.

Australian economy is slowing while the commodity prices have dropped significantly. Growth has slowed, with GDP rising 0.5% q/q in Q4, but slowing to a 2.5% y/y pace from +2.7% y/y in Q3. The RBA’s Index of Commodity Prices has tumbled. The index has fallen by 20.6% y/y in SDR terms through February, driven by lower prices for bulk commodities. At 72.5, the index is at its lowest level since December 2009, extending pullback from a 124.7 peak in July 2011. In addition, inflation has slowed, with CPI dropping to 1.7% y/y in Q4 from 2.3% y/y in Q3.

At the same time UK data improves and even though the elections cause a certain level of anxiety in the markets (no one likes uncertainty) the GBPAUD has been rather strong lately. Incoming UK data has been rather strong. The future data should be positive for sterling, though concerns of a hung parliament outcome at the May-7 general election are likely to crimp enthusiasm for the UK currency and assets, especially if the Scottish Nationalist Party ends up holding the balance of power. UK Markit manufacturing PMI survey came in at 54.3 in March, fractionally above our survey median for 54.3 and improving from February’s 54.1 reading. This is the third consecutive month of improvement, affirming that activity in the sector is reaccelerating after a soft patch in Q4 last year.

UK construction PMI was much worse than expected at 57.8 in March, down from February’s 60.1 and well below the Reuters median forecast for 59.5. The 2014 overall average was 61.8, so the data points to a drop-off in momentum. The decline in March was largely reflective of a slowdown in civil engineering activity growth, which the survey found may be related to uncertainty ahead of the too-close-to-call May-7 general election. Job creation also remained below 2014 levels. However, at 57.8 this still signals a robust level of activity while business confidence rose to a nine-year high. Sub-contractor charges rose at the fastest pace since the survey began in 1997. Overall, the strong outlook offsets the decline in the headline, and the slowdown in activity in some areas may pick up after the May election.

Janne Muta
Chief Market Analyst
HotForex

Disclaimer: Nothing in this communication contains, or should be considered as containing, an investment advice or an investment recommendation or a solicitation for the purpose of purchase or sale of any financial instrument.

Date : 13th April 2015

EURAUD BOUNCING HIGHER FROM SUPPORT.

EURAUD, Weekly

The pair has been making lower highs and lower lows since December 2014 suggesting that the long term momentum is to the downside.  Unless the pair creates a higher low at 1.3725 the weekly picture remains bearish. The 38.2% Fibonacci retracement coincides roughly with the recent pivot high while the 50% level is approximately at level with a pivot candle low (1.4476) from February this year. This suggests to me that the resistance area between 1.4340 and 1.4530 is strong and any near term price advances to the level are likely to be met with selling. Nearest important support levels are at 1.3725 and 1.3190.

EURAUD, Daily

With the trend to the downside and the pair at support the Stochastics is now oversold. Should today’s candle close above the Friday’s high we’d have both a price based bull signal and Stochastics closing above its 3 period MA (red line). There could be some resistance around the 1.4076 level as it has acted as a support and resistance in the past. Should the pair move beyond this level the next resistance area would be in the region of upper Bollinger Bands and the upper end of the regression channel.

EURAUD, 60 min

The pair has broken out of the descending regression channel and has since moved above recent reaction highs at 3849 and 3883. Now that EURAUD is retracing back to those levels I expect that there is a good chance market will find support at those levels.

Conclusion

Longer term picture is pointing to the downside as the pair makes lower highs and lower lows. This setup should therefore favour those looking to sell the rallies. Resistance levels between 1.4340 and 1.4530 could work out as short entry level should the market rally there. Short term traders could take advantage of a potential momentum reversal at 1.3849 and 1.3883 with a target at or near 1.4050. Look for momentum reversal signals to confirm the analysis.

Janne Muta
Chief Market Analyst
HotForex

Disclaimer: Nothing in this communication contains, or should be considered as containing, an investment advice or an investment recommendation or a solicitation for the purpose of purchase or sale of any financial instrument.

Date : 15th April 2015

WEEKLY CHART: GOLD’S LIKELY TO MOVE LOWER.

Gold, Weekly

In my latest Gold analysis from March 18th I wrote: These levels are exactly the levels that attracted buyers in Q4 2014 which suggests that there might still be some demand for Gold just below the current price. However, the psychology might have changed since December last year.  Strong growth in the US labour market we have seen since then coupled with the rate hike expectations could lead to Gold breaking the support this time around. I am not taking a view that it will happen as support is support as long as it works. A close above yesterday’s high at 1159.30 would be a positive signal while a close above the 1165.70 resistance in would improve it even further. This would warrant buying intraday dips after over the coming few days with a target at 1190.

Now we’ve seen Gold closing moving higher from the support level and hitting my target at 1190. In addition, this market has moved beyond the target and turned lower at 1224.50 resistance. At the same time Gold created a bar with a narrow range between the open and closing prices hinting a move lower. This has since then materialised and Gold has moved lower this week. This is suggesting further moves lower in the coming two weeks or so. The next important weekly support is likely to be found near the lower weekly Bollinger Bands and 1131.50 to 1142 range. Long term picture is still bearish while in the medium term I expect Gold to move sideways between the above mentioned support and resistance levels.

Gold, Daily

In the daily picture Gold is trading close to the 50% Fibonacci level and the Stochastics are getting close to the oversold levels. This suggests that the move lower over the last few days could slow down a bit. Yesterday we saw a rally from the 50% Fibonacci level but there was no follow through. This 50% retracement level coincides with a pivot candle from the end of March and if price keeps moving sideways for a few days the lower Bollinger Bands will catch up with it creating another supportive element. However the weekly picture points to the downside and therefore we should see rallies higher met with selling and eventually see a move lower to 1141 and 1160 range.

Gold, 240 min

While the 50 period moving average is still pointing higher Gold has been creating lower highs and trending lower in a descending channel. Price is reacting from resistance levels, which suggests further moves lower. The fact that the bounce from 1183.70 support was weak and met with selling does increase probabilities that price will eventually work its way through the support. This however does not rule out price bouncing higher and retesting the resistance levels at 1198 and 1208. The latter coincides with upper Bollinger Bands and should price rally there we’d be looking for momentum reversal signals close to it. The same applies to the 1198 resistance. If price stays in the descending channel (minor time frame confirms with momentum reversals close to the channel top) then we obviously should take advantage of them.

Conclusion

Weekly picture points to lower prices and I expect Gold to move to the lower weekly Bollinger Bands and close to the support range at 1131.50 – 1142 where it should attract buyers again. It could very well be that over the coming weeks price moves sideways between the 1224 resistance and the aforementioned support level. Ranging market between these levels could provide opportunities for traders (with different time trade orientations) trading against both the major and minor resistances and support levels. Short term we are close to a support level and therefore I would like to see price rallying a bit before initiating short trades. We could see Gold retesting the resistance levels at 1198 and 1208. The latter coincides with the upper Bollinger Bands and should price rally there we’d be looking for momentum reversal signals close to it. The weekly Bollinger Bands and proximity of daily pivot high at 1160 could very well work as an ultimate swing trade target.

Janne Muta
Chief Market Analyst
HotForex

Disclaimer: Nothing in this communication contains, or should be considered as containing, an investment advice or an investment recommendation or a solicitation for the purpose of purchase or sale of any financial instrument.

Date : 17th April 2015

DXY IS GETTING CLOSE TO SUPPORT.

DXY, Weekly

US Dollar Index (DXY) represents a basket of currencies in which the US dollar is valued. These include major currencies with different weights: EUR (57.6%), JPY (13.6%), GBP (11.9%), CAD (9.1%), SEK (4.2%) and CHF (3.6%). With euro having the highest weighting analysis made on DXY will have the greatest indication for EURUSD trading.

Since March this year momentum indicators have been moving lower reflecting the fact that price has not been making new higher highs anymore. Until recently Stochastics and RSI have been moving above the overbought threshold but now are pointing lower and have moved closer to neutral values. In a price chart that means the latest price action is taking closer to the middle of the recent range. DXY has been correcting lower this week and is now close to the 50% Fibonacci retracement level. This ties up with the indication from the oscillators. Price is also approaching an accelerated trendline support but has created a lower high which suggests that price could be moving sideways over the coming weeks.

DXY, Daily

Both Stochastics and RSI are close to oversold levels with the latter attempting to tick higher at the time of writing. Price has reached a pivot candle from April 6th and is fairly close to a rising trendline support. This suggests that the downside is getting limited and we should be looking for buy signals for the dollar at levels at or below the current price. Nearest support and resistance levels are 97.46 and 99.46 which also coincides with the upper Bollinger Bands. Should the 97.46 support not hold the DXY the next important support level can be identified in the 4h chart at 97. The 50 day MA is currently in the region as well with a value of 97.08. This increases the validity of the level.

DXY, 240

As DXY has been trending down over the last three days there has also been some wedging in the price. This suggests that there is some resistance for dollar moving lower, especially since price came to the low of 98.07 yesterday. At the moment the 61.8% Fibonacci resistance level has been acting as a resistance for rallies today. Price is moving closer to 97.46 support level which it has already almost touched once and bounced higher. Stochastics, RSI and MFI are oversold which supports the view that this market is near to buy levels. If the 97.46 doesn’t hold then the next support level at 97 should come into play but I am interested in price action based buy signals even between the levels.

Conclusion

In the longer term picture it is clear that the Fed speak turning dovish in March has taken steam out of the DXY rally and the index has been moving sideways.  Price has created a lower high which suggests weakness and that DXY could be moving sideways over the coming weeks. But in a shorter term picture DXY is close to support levels and we should therefore be looking for buy signals the dollar. This obviously means looking for sell signals in markets like AUDUSD (close to a resistance), NZDUSD (also at resistance). At the same time USDJPY is at support. Should the price action confirm my analysis this could be a time to favour USD over other currencies. Later on today we will have the CPI numbers from US and this could cause some action should there be a strong deviation from analysis expectations.

You will find today’s economic calendar with the highest impacting events only. Please visit HotForex.com for full calendar.

Janne Muta
Chief Market Analyst
HotForex

Disclaimer: Nothing in this communication contains, or should be considered as containing, an investment advice or an investment recommendation or a solicitation for the purpose of purchase or sale of any financial instrument.

Date : 22nd April 2015

NASDAQ 100 FUTURES TRADING BELOW RESISTANCE.

Nasdaq, Weekly:

Nasdaq was the world’s first electronic stock market when it began trading in 1971. This is very fitting for a technology index that nowadays includes all the major technology names that have a global prescence. In HotForex MT4 platform this index can be traded under the name of USA 100. The biggest stocks in this index include technology names such as Apple, Microsoft and Google. As these stocks are investment driven (when businesses invest in computers, software and infrastructure these companies do well) their price behaviour can be seen as an indication of things to come for the whole of the stock market. Technology is also the heaviest weighted sector in the S&P 500 index which means that movements in technology shares and Nasdaq will have a significant impact on S&P 500. Let’s see how Nasdaq index has been trading lately and what can we learn from its movements.

Since the end of 2012 this market has been trending strongly higher gaining over 60% since the end of 2012. Currently this index is trading close to this year’s highs just below the upper weekly Bollinger Bands. Nasdaq has moved sideways since the end of February and has found support from general region of November 2014 high. This has created a sideways move that is fairly similar to the sideways range that lasted from November 2014 to the beginning of February 2015. This suggests to me that this market is not weak but is slowly working its way higher.

Nasdaq, Daily:

Index is trading at the recent highs and therefore at resistance. Recent high at 4441.50 was able to resist the move higher this morning and index reacted lower at the time of writing. Stochastics, RSI and Money Flow index are right at or very close to overbought levels which means that taking long positions at current levels would be too risky. Market is very thin this time of day as the US main trading session is still hours away. This can make market more volatile than usually. The nearest daily support level is at 4320 while the lower Bollinger Bands are between this and the next support at 4259.

Nasdaq, 240 min:

The 4h chart reveals how Nasdaq has been moving higher in an upward channel whit the lower end of the channel coinciding with a pivot support at 4327.50. Now that index has broken the small bearish wedge that had developed overnight the next significant support level is in the region of 4327.50 to 4350 that coincide with the Bollinger Bands and the channel low. Currently price has attracted some buying at 50 period moving average but this should be considered as a minor support and should we get a rally to 4423 resistance and then a turn around to again to the south there is a good chance price will penetrate this support and move to 4350 or so.

Conclusion

In the longer term picture this market is trading close to the year 2000 highs and therefore momentum can be expected to be weaker than it has been over the year 2014. The Q1 2015 trading gives us some indication of what the price action might be like over the rest of the second quarter. Index has been moving sideways and then has broken above the previous resistance levels without huge rallies. Instead the next range has developed just above the previous one. This means that the support levels are close and this market might not be ready to have major correction lower but move gradually higher. As technology is the biggest (heaviest weighted) sector in S&P 500 it is likely that this lack of technical weakness will turn into strength with S&P 500 as well. Now that Fed is more dovish and crude oil has likely bottomed the energy sector stocks are recovering giving additional support for the US stock market.

In short term Nasdaq is weak as it has not been able to move above the resistance level at 4441.50 but rather corrected lower. Even though there has been some buying at the 50 period MA the major support levels are near the rising trend channel bottom. I am looking for a move to 4350 and then follow minor time frames for buy signals. However, firs this market might rally a bit and test the 4423 resistance. Should we get a rally to 4423 resistance and then a reversal there is a good chance price will penetrate the 50 MA support and move to 4350 or so.

Trade these levels only should the price action confirm my analysis. If you don’t know how to read price action, please join me to our free webinars and learn how to take your trading to the next level.

Janne Muta
Chief Market Analyst
HotForex

Disclaimer: Nothing in this communication contains, or should be considered as containing, an investment advice or an investment recommendation or a solicitation for the purpose of purchase or sale of any financial instrument.

Date : 24th April 2015

TODAY’S CURRENCY MOVERS.

EURUSD, Daily

Earlier today THE Euro was the strongest currency against the US dollar with a gain of over 0.60%. This rally failed as EURUSD moved to a level where the upper Bollinger Bands and 50 day moving average coincided. Now the pair given up most of the gains and is hovering above yesterday’s close. The nearest daily support and resistance levels are at 1.0667 and 1.0900. If the pair closes below 1.0840, today’s candle will be a shooting star candle but there is some intraday 4h support at 1.0804 region (a previous resistance level) so price might fluctuate a bit more before finding direction.

Currency Pairs, Grouped Performance (% Change)

GBP has been rallying against the dollar since yesterday as the BoE minutes suggested the bank might be raising rates over the coming three year period. NZD has been weak RBNZ since assistant Governor John McDermott said yesterday the bank will ensure that the monetary policy is stimulatory to support output growth above potential and help lift inflation back to target. He said that at present they are not considering any increase in interest rates.

Main Macro Events Today

Eurogroup leaders’ gathering: no great expectations in terms of breakthrough on Greece.

The German Ifo index jumped to 108.6 in April: stronger than expected current conditions reading and rising confidence in the manufacturing sector, while retail sentiment fell back somewhat.

US March Durable goods orders: strong headline print on durables, the ex-transport component disappointed.

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Janne Muta
Chief Market Analyst
HotForex

Disclaimer: Nothing in this communication contains, or should be considered as containing, an investment advice or an investment recommendation or a solicitation for the purpose of purchase or sale of any financial instrument.

Date : 27th April 2015 (Second Analysis)

EURNZD DAILY SHOOTING STAR AT RESISTANCE.

EURNZD, Weekly

EURNZD has been trending lower for the whole of the 2015 but last week rallied significantly on the back of comments from assistant Governor John McDermott. He said last week that the bank will ensure that the monetary policy is stimulatory to support output growth above potential and help lift inflation back to target. He also pointed that “At present, the Bank is not considering any increase in interest rates. Before considering any tightening in monetary policy we would need to be confident that increased capacity utilisation and labour market tightness was generating, or about to generate, a substantial increase in inflation”.

This rally brought EURNZD to a resistance where a weekly pivotal close and 23.6% Fibonacci levels coincide. The pair has reacted lower on Friday after moving briefly above the Fibonacci level. Stochastics are moving higher from oversold levels after diverging for over the weeks before last. Nearest weekly support and resistance levels are at 1.3883 and 1.4290, while the next major resistance is at 1.4547.

EURNZD, Daily

The pair created a shooting star candle last Friday as it reacted lower from April 7th pivot candle and has since been moving sideways near Friday’s lows. Stochastics is very close to overbought levels and the 50 simple moving average is not that far away from the latest high and the same applies to the upper Bollinger Bands as well. Also, this move was a contra-trend move that took the pair to the upper end of the bearish price channel. Therefore it’s not a surprise that this market is reacting lower.

EURNZD, 240 min

Stochastics are turning higher from levels close to the oversold levels. This coincides with price reacting higher from a pivot support level close to the 1.4200. While one hour chart shows RSI diverging and turning higher the 4h chart suggests we could have a 4h hammer candle when in a bit more than one hour’s time. The current 4h candle would need to close above the mid-way of the current 4210 and 4264 range.  This would indicate market participants trying to take the pair higher. However, upside is quite limited by the technical factors listed in the daily time frame analysis. The support area between 1.4014 and 1.4055 is a likely level to cause some buying and could therefore act as a target.

Conclusion

Judging from the technical picture upside in this market is limited. Price is trading close to a descending price channel high and it has already reacted lower from the channel top. The longer term trend is lower and Thursday’s rally was contrary to the main momentum. This suggests we should see weakness over the coming few days. Currently price has found some support from a pivot high (see 4h chart) which could turn into a short term strength but at the moment there isn’t much upside momentum either. This market is in a sell the rallies mode and support area between 1.4014 and 1.4055 is a likely level to cause some buying and could therefore act as a target.

Trade these levels only should the price action confirm my analysis. If you don’t know how to read price action, please join me to our free webinars and learn how to take your trading to the next level.

Janne Muta
Chief Market Analyst
HotForex

Disclaimer: Nothing in this communication contains, or should be considered as containing, an investment advice or an investment recommendation or a solicitation for the purpose of purchase or sale of any financial instrument.