USD/JPY: that's it, no movie!

Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell's dovish speech pulled down the dollar. Yesterday, the U.S. currency experienced a resounding sell-off on all fronts, but saw the biggest loss against the yen.

A crushing blow from Powell
At the middle of the week, Powell spoke about the economic outlook, inflation and US employment at the Brookings Institution.

It was Powell's first public speech since the November FOMC meeting, so traders were looking forward to his comments on the central bank's future course.

The market has been in a state of strong uncertainty. Softer inflation provoked speculations about a possible slowdown of tightening in the US, and recent hawkish comments made by Fed representatives have cast doubts on this.

Until yesterday, dollar bulls had illusions about further sharp rate hikes in the US. However, Powell just shattered their hopes: the central bank intends to slow down.

He said it makes sense to 'moderate' the pace at this stage to balance risks. He also hinted that the Fed might take less aggressive steps at its next meeting.

After Powell's dovish rhetoric, the likelihood of a 50 bps rate hike in December rose from 69.9% to more than 90%.

The sharp weakening of hawkish market expectations took a heavy toll on the dollar. It interrupted its 3-day climb and went into free-fall.

Yesterday, the DXY index posted its biggest daily loss of the week, falling more than 1% from its major peers.

Goodbye USD/JPY
The U.S. currency showed the worst dynamics on Wednesday against the yen. The USD/JPY plummeted 1.2%, testing the 3-month low at 136.50 in one moment.

A steep peak in yields on 10-year U.S. Treasuries contributed to the yen's sharp growth. The index fell to a one-month low of 3.6% after Powell's comments.

"The dollar is losing more altitude as the market embraces a less hawkish than feared message from the Chair," said Rodrigo Catril, strategist at National Australia Bank Ltd. in Sydney. The "big decline in 10-year Treasury yields sees the yen at the top of the leaderboard."

Recall that this year the Japanese currency suffered the most from the aggressive Fed rate, and the Bank of Japan's dovish policy adds more pressure on it.

The BOJ is the only major central bank that has never raised interest rates this year.

The hope that appeared last month that the Fed might soon slow down the pace of tightening helped the yen recover from its multi-year lows.

The JPY showed the best uptrend against the dollar in November. It strengthened by more than 7%. This is the biggest monthly gain for the JPY in 14 years.

Now, when Powell actually gave the signal to start a slowdown in interest rates in the U.S., many analysts have revised their forecasts for the pair - downward.

According to experts, the asset has already exhausted its bullish potential and is unlikely to return to spectacular and confident growth in the near future.

In the short term, the major will move mainly downwards, still weighed down by Powell's dovish statement.

Also, US economic data may become a headwind for the dollar-yen pair. If the market sees another symptom of the approaching recession, it will finally convince traders that the US central bank will hit the brakes this month.

Analysts predict this is likely to happen. The ISM manufacturing activity index for November will be released today. Economists are predicting that the index will fall from 50.2 to 49.8.

Another headwind for the dollar will be the return of risk sentiment to the market due to the easing of anti-Covid measures in China. This should also favor USD/JPY bears.

EUR/USD regains upside position, dollar left with one trump card

Markets prefer to shoot first and then think later. Otherwise, they would miss the moment. When ECB President Christine Lagarde said that central banks should pursue policies that would anchor inflation expectations, investors began to buy the euro with renewed vigor, pushing EURUSD quotes to the highest levels since June. In reality, however, Lagarde's phrase does not guarantee that the deposit rate will rise by 75 bps in December. No matter how this shot turned out to be a blank.

The logic of investors selling the U.S. dollar is clear: inflation is slowing and will continue to do so, which means the Fed does not need to take giant steps down the road of tightening monetary policy. The factor of an aggressive federal funds rate hike, along with U.S. exceptionalism and high demand for safe haven assets, was the key driver of the EURUSD rally. If the ECB starts to catch up with the Fed, the dollar has one less trump card to play.

Lately, the macrostatistics of the euro area has been pleasantly surprising, which is reflected in the growth of the index of economic surprises. It is quite possible that the currency bloc will either manage to avoid recession or the recession will be quick and insignificant. It looks like the U.S. is not as far from the eurozone as previously thought. A change in investors' outlook on the matter has given EURUSD a helping hand.

Dynamics of Economic Surprise Indices

In fact, the U.S. dollar has only one trump card left—its status as a safe-haven asset, and even that fails. When the yield of Treasury bonds grew, the competitors of the grenback in the face of gold, yen and franc were in disgrace. However, the decline in interest rates on debt has turned them from outsiders into favorites. As a global recession approaches, investors will no longer park their money in North America, but will prefer Japan, Switzerland, or a perpetual asset.

Jerome Powell had a chance to turn things around. Had he voiced his dissatisfaction with financial conditions, the EURUSD pair would hardly have been able to soar above 1.05. The weakening of the latter makes it difficult for the Fed to fight inflation, but the central bank also seems to believe that the PCE will continue to slow.

Dynamics of financial conditions in the USA

Unlike Lagarde, who believes that the global economy is entering an era of volatile inflation. That is why central banks should anchor inflation expectations at the target level of 2%. Households must trust that their work will lead to price stability. That's the only way to win.

Volatile inflation makes it doubtful that EURUSD will continue to go further upward in the same way as in October and early December. Most likely, it will be stormy.

In technical terms, the euro approached the target by 161.8% by the Crab pattern within an arm's length. It is located near the $1.061 mark. A rebound may follow from it or from the 1.057 pivot point, which will allow to partially take profits on the longs formed above 1.0395. Subsequently, we use pullbacks to buy EURUSD.

Will the dollar still be at war? USD/JPY forecast for 2023

The USD/JPY pair plummeted in November, which made many question its bullish potential. However, the dollar's recent growth convinces investors otherwise. So what to expect from the major?

The dollar is winning so far
The greenback rose 0.3% against its major peers on Wednesday night. The dollar was supported by rising concerns about the global recession.

The day before, three leading U.S. banks - J.P. Morgan, Goldman Sachs and The Bank of America - said they expect a slowdown in global economic growth next year, as rising inflation is threatening consumer demand.

The pessimistic outlook reinforced the anti-risk sentiment that prevailed for the third consecutive session. The MSCI All-Country World Index, which tracks stock market performance in 48 countries, fell 1.26%, down from a three-month high last week.

The loss of appetite for equities and increased demand for the dollar was also triggered by strong US macrodata. Recall that earlier this week the Institute for Supply Management (ISM) said that economic activity in the services sector grew from 54.4 to 56.5 in November.

The data followed Friday's report from the U.S. labor market, which also pleased dollar bulls. The nation's NonFarm Payroll employment rose more than forecast last month.

The portion of optimistic data greatly strengthened the market's hawkish expectations for further monetary policy by the Federal Reserve.

Currently, most traders expect the U.S. central bank to raise the rate by 50 bps next week. The probability of an increase by 75 bps is only 5%.

However, talk of a higher peak in U.S. interest rates has returned to the market. Many investors believe the rate could reach 5.25% in 2023, whereas now it is in the 3.75-4% range.

The hope that the Fed will continue to raise rates next year and keep them high for a long time acts as a very powerful trigger for the dollar at this point. This factor particularly helps the greenback against the yen.

After USD/JPY plummeted to a 3-month low of 133.64 last week, it has now gained 3% and has managed to stay above 137.

There aren't many new factors that can strongly influence the asset's dynamics now. In the coming days, investors will focus on two events: the US consumer price index for November and next week's Fed meeting.

If investors see more robust inflation and hear hints of a higher peak in U.S. interest rates from U.S. officials, it will likely trigger a new wave of growth in the USD/JPY pair.

What's in store for the USD/JPY next year?
In November, the U.S. currency posted its worst monthly performance in 14 years against the yen. It fell by more than 7% due to fears that the US central bank is going to slow the pace of rate hikes.

However, most currency strategists, recently surveyed by Reuters, believe that in the next few months, USD/JPY will be able to hold its annual growth, which amounted to 20%.

The growing threat of recession in the U.S. and other countries should provide support to the dollar. In the backdrop of risk aversion, the greenback will once again feel a surge of strength, which will help it recover its recent losses on all fronts, even against the yen.

"For now, the forces that have supported the USD this year remain valid, despite the recent correction lower. Other currencies do not look as attractive yet," said Athanasios Vamvakidis, head of G10 FX strategy at Bank of America.

In the BofA baseline, the U.S. dollar will remain strong early next year and will only start a more sustained downward path after the Fed pauses.

Despite the dollar's recent pullback, major currencies are not expected to recoup their 2022 losses against the USD until at least late 2023, the survey showed.

Analysts estimate that the Japanese yen, down nearly 20% for the year and currently trading around 136.50 per dollar, was expected to change hands around 139.17, 136.17 and 132.67 per dollar over the next three, six and 12 months respectively.

Weekly forecast for EUR/USD, USD/JPY, GBP/JPY, USD/CAD, NZD/USD, and GOLD from December 12 (simplified wave analysis)

EUR/USD

Analysis:

The September 26 incomplete wave algorithm determines the short-term trend of the major European currencies. The movement's overall level has now surpassed the D1 scale. After its breakout, the intermediate resistance became support. The quotes have been forming an imperfect interim correction over the past week.

Forecast:

The general sideways trend of euro price fluctuations is anticipated to continue in the early days of this week. Its second half is more likely to see an increase in volatility, a reversal, and a continuation of the price rise.

Potential zones for reversals

Resistance:

- 1.0760/1.0810

Support:

- 1.0450/1.0400

Recommendations:

Sales: are potentially unprofitable and have limited potential.

Purchases: Your vehicles may be suggested for trading transactions once the corresponding signals for those vehicles appear in the support zone.

USD/JPY

Analysis:

The imperfect algorithm of the descending stretched plane of the major pair of the Japanese yen determines the primary direction of intraday trends. The wave has reached its peak. The price breached a strong support level that had previously served as resistance.

Forecast:

The price of the pair anticipate mainly moving "sideways" along the predicted resistance over the coming few days. You can anticipate a reversal and a continuation of the bearish course closer to the weekend. The calculated support represents the lower bound of the expected weekly entry of the pair.

Potential zones for reversals

Resistance:

- 137.50/138.00

Support:

- 133.60/133.10

Recommendations:

Purchases may be made during different sessions. It is advised to purchase a fractional lot due to the low potential.

Sales: this will only be important once your vehicle's corresponding reversing signals appear in the resistance zone area.

GBP/JPY

Analysis:

Since the end of September, the waves on the pair's chart between the British pound and the Japanese yen have been descending. The wave structure is still undergoing correction as a horizontal plane forms. There aren't any completion signals at the time of analysis.

Forecast:

The general lateral mood of the pair's fluctuations is anticipated to persist this week. When there is likely pressure on the resistance zone, you can watch for a change in course. Most likely, the decline stops at the calculated support.

Potential zones for reversals

Resistance:

- 168.60/169.10

Support:

- 164.00/163.50

Recommendations:

Small-lot purchases are possible during a single day. Lowering the trading lot is safer.

Sales: are available following the occurrence of verified reversal signals in the vicinity of the resistance zone.

USD/CAD

Analysis:

The Canadian dollar chart's most recent wave structure, which is useful for forecasting and trading, is directed downward and has been decrementing since September 26. In its structure, the middle part (B) is formed. After it is finished, part (C) will come next, bringing the wave's overall wave scale to the level of the reversal.

Forecast:

The upward movement is anticipated to continue at the start of this week, up to the limits of the calculated resistance. When a reversal forms and the downward course resumes, you can wait for it to happen.

Potential zones for reversals

Resistance:

- 1.3740/1.3790

Support:

- 1.3190/1.3140

Recommendations:

Purchases: are highly risky and could end up being unprofitable.

After the emergence of reversal signals in the vicinity of the resistance zone, sales may be advised.

NZD/USD

Short analysis

Since the end of September, an upward trend has been forming on the chart of the major New Zealand dollar pair. The price has reached a strong potential reversal zone over a broad timeframe. The wave structure's analysis suggests that quotations could increase to their maximum level.

Forecast for the coming week:

The likelihood of a sideways flat at the start of the upcoming week is very high. The price could move downward, but only as far as the support boundaries allow. The second half of the week should see the most activity and the start of price growth again.

Potential zones for reversals

Resistance:

- 0.6500/0.6550

Support:

- 0.6350/0.6300

Recommendations

Sales in the vicinity of the resistance zone should only be made once confirmed reversal signals have appeared.

Purchases: advised by a cut-down quantity from the support zone. The resistance zone restricts the potential.

GOLD

Analysis:

A downward wave has been driving the trend in the gold market since March of this year. Gold prices have been correcting over the previous two months, forming the middle of the wave. The price is close to a significant resistance area at the time of analysis. The ascending section's structure needs to be completed.

Forecast:

The upward movement vector is anticipated to carry on this coming week until the resistance zone rise is fully completed. A brief decline in the support area is not ruled out over the next few days.

Potential zones for reversals

Resistance:

- 1830.0/1845.0

Support:

- 1785.0/1770.0

Recommendations:

There won't be any restrictions on sales in the upcoming days.

Purchases: Within the parameters of individual trading sessions, fractional lots may be purchased from the support zone.

Reasons: Each wave has three components in a simplified wave analysis (UVA). The final, incomplete wave is examined at each TF. The dotted line depicts the predicted movements.

Be aware that the wave algorithm needs to account for the instruments' temporal movement length!

EUR likely to recover

This week, the euro has been extremely volatile. After a sharp rise amid the weakening of the US dollar, it rolled back again. However, there is still a chance for recovery.

On Thursday morning, the European currency noticeably declined against the US dollar. Traders are now looking forward to the ECB meeting. The central bank will announce its rate decision as well as provide comments on the likelihood of a recession. Analysts believe that the euro could take advantage of the situation and resume an upward movement. Currently, the EUR/USD pair is trading near 1.0655, trying to reach new highs.

The euro has a high upside potential because the greenback is climbing solely thanks to the Fed's hawkish rhetoric. However, this bullish momentum may weaken at any moment. According to Credit Suisse, by the end of 2022, the EUR/USD pair is projected to test the May high of 1.0800.

As the New Year and Christmas holidays are approaching, many analysts have once again brought up the topic of the parity level. Opinions are polarized. Many FX strategists do not expect the pair to retreat to this level, while others believe that the odds are extremely high. Economists at Rabobank reckon that the EUR/USD pair is likely to reach parity in 2023.

Now, speculators are digesting the results of the Fed meeting. The central bank raised the interest rate by 50 basis points to 4.25%-4.5% on an annual basis. The fed funds rate is expected to peak at 4.75%-5.00% next year. Fed officials confirmed that they would stick to further tightening to tame inflation.

The so-called dot plots show that Fed policymakers have a median forecast of 5.1% for the fed funds rate at the end of 2023. The watchdog also said it would not plan to cut the key rate over the next year. The Fed also expects its rate to come down by the end of 2024 to 4.1% and to 3.1% by the end of 2025.

Apart from that, the Fed will continue to reduce its balance sheet. It announced this move in May of this year and started to trim its balance sheet in June. Currently, the Fed's assets stand at $8.6 trillion.

Now, the central bank's main priority is to cap inflation, pushing it to the 2% target. Inflation is still high although it is gradually decreasing. The Fed sees inflation risks 'weighted to the upside'. For this reason, it will stick to a hawkish stance until inflation declines to the target level.

Later, the ECB will announce its rate decision. According to preliminary forecasts, the ECB is projected to hike the key rate by 50 basis points, taking it to 2.5%. Earlier, the ECB raised the rate by 75 basis points. In addition, it will also unveil its macroeconomic projections.

Analysts at Credit Suisse contemplate that a 50 basis point rate hike could adversely affect the euro. However, it will hardly undermine the bullish trend. It might occur only if Christine Lagarde provides rather dovish comments on the future plans for monetary policy and the final range for the key rate. Such a scenario looks unlikely, Credit Suisse pointed out. However, persistently high inflation and rising wages increase the chance of a 75 basis point rate hike. If so, the euro will definitely rise.

Trading signal for GOLD (XAU/USD) onDecember 29 - 30, 2022: buy above $1,802 (21 SMA - 6/8 Murray)

Early in the European session, Gold (XAU/USD) was trading around 1,806.05 above the 21 SMA and below the key resistance of 6/8 Murray located at 1,812.50.

The positive sentiment in the markets triggered by the news from China lifted the market's spirits, thus boosting the demand for gold. But it could last a short time due to technical reasons. In the daily chart, gold is very overbought and it is expected that there will be a fall in the short term to the levels of 1,750 and 1,720.

A return below 1,800 would make gold vulnerable to a decline to test the bottom of the uptrend channel around 1,794. A sharp break below could trigger further losses to the area of 1,781 (5/8 Murray). If bearish pressure prevails, it could reach the next support at 1,773 (200 EMA).

On the 4-hour chart, we can see that gold could resume its bullish cycle if it trades above 1,802.50 (21 SMA). The next target is at 1,812 and the strong resistance area is at 1,823.

Conversely, in the event that the XAU/USD pair trades below the psychological level of 1,800 we could expect a continuation of the bearish movement and it could reach 1,772 (200 EMA).

The eagle indicator is giving a positive signal but has technically lost its bullish momentum and any technical bounce is likely to be seen as an opportunity to sell. If in the next few hours, gold fails to consolidate above 1,812, and while the price of gold is trading below this level, it could be seen as an entry point to sell.

Our trading plan for the next few hours is to buy gold above 1,802 (21 SMA) with targets at 1,812 and 1,823. In the event that gold fails to break the resistance of 1,812, it will be seen as a signal to sell with targets at 1,795.

Hot forecast for GBP/USD on 09/01/2023

To put it mildly, the labor market data in the United States was fantastic. Especially when you look at the unemployment rate, which fell from 3.6% to 3.5%. Especially since the previous data was revised up from 3.7%. And it was projected to remain unchanged. In addition, 223,000 new jobs were created outside of agriculture. That's certainly not much more than the forecast of 220,000, but it's still a bit more to keep the unemployment rate stable. In other words, there's all the makings for further job growth. Although unemployment continues to be at record lows. But the interesting thing is that the dollar has been getting cheaper. It's all about the incredibly good macro data. Oddly enough, they show a clear overheating of the labor market. Especially since the United States is actively pursuing a policy to lure industrial production to its territory.

And the question arises - where will companies get workers for all these companies with such a high level of employment? And in general, an overheated labor market can lead to a sudden and steep rise in unemployment and with it a catastrophic drop in investment. Not to mention losses for the companies themselves. After all, companies invest in business expansion and job creation, and when they can't find employees then the investment doesn't pay off. So companies have to write off losses and cut costs to at least compensate for the negative consequences. This prospect is the reason why the dollar is weakening.

The unemployment rate (United States):

Nevertheless, this situation creates prospects for the dollar's growth in the long term. The fact is that the monetary authorities have only one tool to fight overheating of the labor market - an increase in interest rates. In other words, although the Federal Reserve will slow down the pace of rate hikes, there is no question of its reduction in the near future. Most likely, the cycle of rising interest rates in the United States will continue through 2023. While the European Central Bank is likely to begin to gradually reduce its rate as early as the middle of this year.

The pound appreciated by more than 250 points against the US dollar on Friday. As a result, it won back all the decline since the beginning of the month, and the quote was above 1.2100. It is worth noting that we have a sell-off in dollar positions across the Forex market.

The H4 RSI has crossed the middle line of 50 upwards. This indicates a high demand for long positions on the pound.

Moving averages on the H4 Alligator have changed direction from downward to upwards. This is a signal to buy.

Outlook

In this situation, the upward move may persist due to the speculative sentiment of traders. I expect a further increase in long positions once the price stays above 1.2150 on the four-hour chart.

Take note that such rapid price changes often lead to excessive trading positions. For this reason, a technical pullback should not be ruled out.

Based on complex indicator analysis, there is a buy signal for short-term and intraday trading because of the upward movement.

Hot forecast for GBP/USD on 11/01/2023

In just a couple of days, the pound gained almost 350 points, and a local correction was justified. However, despite a completely empty macroeconomic calendar, which usually promotes all sorts of bounces, the British currency lost only 50 points. And it proves that investors don't really believe in the dollar's growth potential right now. At least, in the short-term perspective. Moving forward, I don't think the dollar is going to strengthen. Most likely, the market will continue to stand still. And it's been staying in the same place since the middle of yesterday. In fact, the macroeconomic calendar is also absolutely empty today. The market obviously needs a good reason for it to move in any direction. The pound can't grow because it's overbought, and there's no particular reason for it to fall.

The pair's upward momentum has slowed down around 1.2200. As a result, there was a pullback of about 90 pips, which is considered as a process of regrouping trading forces.

On the four-hour chart, the RSI technical indicator is moving in the upper area of 50/70, which reflects traders' interest in long positions on the euro.

On the four-hour chart, the Alligator's MAs are headed upwards, which corresponds to the upward cycle.

Outlook

The current pullback has smoothly turned into stagnation along 1.2150, which may support new price surges. Using technical analysis, I expect long positions on the pound to grow even more once the price stays above 1.2200. In this case, the subsequent upward movement will resume.

As for the bearish scenario within the corrective move, the price should stay below 1.2130 over the four-hour period.

Based on complex indicator analysis, there is a variable signal for short-term and intraday trading due to a flat. In the medium term, there is still a buy signal.

The Fed promises to continue raising the rate, but the market no longer believes

Today, January 12, Thursday, the US dollar dropped significantly once more. Let me remind you that last Friday, reports on the unemployment rate, the labor market, and business activity were released in the United States for the first time in 2023. 223 thousand people were employed, the unemployment rate declined to 3.5%, and the ISM index unexpectedly went below the 50.0 level. Generally speaking, the only ISM index that is detrimental to the dollar is the one for the services sector. The remaining news is all favorable in my opinion, but the demand for the US dollar is still down significantly. The demand for the dollar was steady at the start of this week, but today data on inflation in the United States was released, which did not appear to startle the market but sparked a strong reaction. The market anticipated a decrease in the consumer price index of 6.5% y/y, which exactly happened. The market also anticipated a 5.7% y/y decline in the base index. There were no additional significant occurrences today.

It turns out that although both results from the same report were almost exactly in line with predictions, the demand for US dollars nonetheless decreased, preventing both instruments from starting (or continuing) to build the correction portion of the trend. It is vital to note that the subsequent activities of central banks, in this case, the Fed, are more significant than inflation itself. Michelle Bowman, one of the FOMC's voting members, recently predicted that the rate will increase because inflation is still too high. At a Florida event, Bowman stated, "I believe we can cut inflation without a big economic slump as the jobless rate continues at its historic lows. Other FOMC members had previously argued for the continuation of monetary policy tightening. However, the market appears to be responding that all interest rate increases have already been fully absorbed by the US dollar's constantly declining demand. The rate is anticipated to climb to a maximum of 5.5% by the market, though it may be lower following today's inflation report

It is important to keep in mind that the demand for the currency is supported by a tighter monetary policy. Therefore, as expectations for the rate decline, so does the demand for the currency. Therefore, from a wave perspective, I continue to anticipate the development of downward trend sections. Despite their significant length and complexity, the market indicates that it is willing to build upward segments. Only figures on British GDP, European and British industrial production, and the American University of Michigan's consumer sentiment index are available this week. The recession in the UK has reportedly already started, thus the most significant GDP data is likely to show a decrease. If this is the case, it would be difficult to predict that the GDP will increase over a single month.

I conclude that the upward trend section's building is about finished based on the analysis. As a result, given that the MACD is indicating a "down" trend, it is now viable to contemplate sales with targets close to the predicted 0.9994 level, or 323.6% per Fibonacci. The potential for complicating and extending the upward portion of the trend remains quite strong, as does the likelihood of this happening.

The building of a downward trend section is still assumed by the wave pattern of the pound/dollar instrument. According to the "down" reversals of the MACD indicator, it is possible to take into account sales with objectives around the level of 1.1508, which corresponds to 50.0% by Fibonacci. The upward portion of the trend is probably over, however, it might yet take a lengthier shape than it does right now.

Hot forecast for GBP/USD on 19/01/2023

UK inflation fell from 10.7% to 10.5% in December, and the pound gradually increased. Inflation eased for the second month, and it hints at the possibility of a more subdued increase in the Bank of England's interest rate. And these very expectations in regard to the Federal Reserve's actions just recently were the reason why the dollar is getting weaker. Moreover, during the previous meeting, two members of the Board argued for rate cuts. So, everything indicates that not only will the US central bank complete its cycle of interest rate hikes soon, but that the BoE could follow suit. And this means there is no reason for the pound to rise substantially. Investors haven't probably realized this fact yet.

Inflation (UK):

But the main reason why the dollar weakened during the European session was the latest US reports, forecasts for it were also negative. In December, U.S. retail sales softened 1.1% and industrial production fell 0.7%. So some pessimism about the dollar was justified. Especially when it became known that previous data had been revised downward. Retail sales climbed 6.0% and industrial production to 2.2%. And if you look at the final industrial report, things got even worse as the growth rate slowed to 1.6%. But the dollar started to rise after the data was released. It's all about retail sales, which remained unchanged with the revision. And this report is significant because it best reflects the state of consumer activity, which is the engine of economic growth. And the data turned out to be significantly better than expected, which of course will inspire confidence that the United States can avoid a recession.

Retail Sales (United States):

First of all, due to the inflationary dynamics in the UK itself, the pound's growth potential is extremely limited. Investors will have to gradually start changing their positions, not in favor of the British currency. But now it has nowhere to go today either. The total number of unemployment claims in the US may grow by 8,000. Of course, the growth itself isn't very significant, but the forecasts are still negative, so there is no reason for the dollar to rise, at least for today. Hence, the market is likely to consolidate around the current values.

Unemployment claims (United States):

GBPUSD crossed the resistance level of 1.2300. As a consequence, the upward momentum gave the pound the opportunity to come close to the December high. The subsequent swing was expressed in a pullback, indicating a decline in the volume of long positions.

On the four-hour chart, the RSI technical indicator was in the overbought area, above the 70 line. This occurred when GBP crossed 1.2300 and approached the December high. Subsequently, there was a price pullback, which is expressed on the RSI indicator by its return below 70.

On the four-hour and D1 chart, the Alligator's MAs are headed upward, which corresponds to the general bullish sentiment.

Outlook

The pullback stage brought the quote back to 1.2300, which, taking into account the current strengthening, is considered as the least possible price change. For the pullback to pass the stage of correction, the quote should return below 1.2250 on the four-hour chart. In this case, GBP could reach 1.2150.

However, staying above 1.2300 may eventually restart long positions in the pound, and it could update the local high of the upward cycle.

Comprehensive indicator analysis suggests a price pullback for the short-term and intraday trading. While the bullish sentiment is still valid for the medium term.

EUR/USD: Dollar back in disgrace, while euro gains momentum

The euro-dollar pair tested the 9th figure at the start of the new trading week for the first time since April last year. Such price dynamics is due not only to the weakening of the U.S. currency (the U.S. dollar index opened trading with a downward gap), but also to the strengthening of the euro (as evidenced by the main cross-pairs involving euro). Such a fundamental background allows EUR/USD bulls to move towards the upper line of the Bollinger Bands indicator on the D1 timeframe, which currently corresponds to the 1.0950 mark. Overcoming this resistance level will open the way for traders to the 10th figure.

Dollar in disgrace

The U.S. dollar is declining amid an almost empty economic calendar on Monday, following Friday's trading inertia. The U.S. dollar index fell from 102.30 to 101.70 on the last day of last trading week. The weekend didn't change traders' minds: today, the index resumed its downward marathon, heading to the base of the 101st figure. Major currency pairs changed their configuration accordingly, with the exception of USD/JPY, which rose after the publication of the minutes of the Bank of Japan's December meeting (according to some members of the Governing Council, the central bank should "clearly explain that expanding the yield range is not the first step in exiting the ultra-loose policy").

But in general, the greenback is under significant pressure. Recent releases indicate that the Fed is guaranteed to reduce the pace of rate hikes to 25 points, and will do so at its February meeting. On Friday, Fed Governor Christopher Waller (who has long been one of the main hawks in favor of an aggressive rate hike) advocated a 25-point scenario. Earlier, a similar position was voiced by other representatives of the Fed, in particular, Patrick Harker, Lorie Logan, and Esther George.

Such statements were made amid a slowdown in U.S. inflation indicators: note that not only the consumer price index, but also the producer price index came out in the red zone. If this week, core PCE index comes out at least at the predicted level (not to mention the "red color"), the puzzle will be finalized. However, the market already de facto has no doubt that the Fed will reduce the pace of rate hike to 25 points. According to the CME FedWatch Tool, the probability of this scenario at the February meeting is estimated at 99%. I think additional comments are unnecessary here.

Euro outlook

Unlike the dollar, the euro enjoys support from the ECB. Representatives of the central bank are vying to voice hawkish messages, assuring traders that the regulator will not change its hawkish course. Last week, there were rumors in the market that the European Central Bank may reduce the rate hike to 25 points in March. The relevant information was published by Bloomberg, citing its sources in the central bank.

The published insider, to put it mildly, surprised market participants (it was then that the EUR/USD pair updated the local high, dropping to 1.0795) since many ECB members voiced opposite signals in public. Christine Lagarde came to the aid of the euro here: speaking at the Davos economic Forum, she said that the European Central Bank is still far from its target, and the regulator has to take "several significant steps." The hawkish minutes of the ECB's December meeting only complemented her words, keeping the EUR/USD pair within the 8th figure.

Today the "hawkish marathon" got its development. Firstly, ECB Governing Council member and Bank of Finland Governor Olli Rehn said that he sees all grounds for a significant interest rate hike "both in winter and this coming spring." Second, a Reuters poll of leading economists was released today. According to most experts, the European Central Bank will raise rates by 50 points, not only at the February meeting, but also at the March meeting. The polled economists also predicted that the rate will reach 3.25% by the middle of the year (the highest value since end 2008).

Conclusions

The fundamental background formed last week contributes to further growth in the price of EUR/USD. And to date, the situation has not changed: the comments of the head of the central bank of Finland, as well as the published Reuters survey, only added to the fundamental picture, allowing buyers of the pair to test the borders of the 9th figure.

Today's main news flow is expected during the U.S. trading session. Eurozone consumer confidence index will be released (positive dynamics is expected), and ECB representatives Christine Lagarde and Fabio Panetta will give a speech (they can also support the euro). In general, the pair remains bullish. The price echelon has shifted one step up, to the range of 1.0850–1.0950. Probably, in the medium term, EUR/USD buyers will try not only to gain a foothold within the 9th figure, but also to precipitate the 1.0950 resistance level, which corresponds to the upper line of the Bollinger Bands indicator on the daily chart.

USD/JPY. Its own atmosphere

The USD/JPY pair has been trading in its own "coordinate system", prioritizing fundamental factors. For example, the pair was actively rising at the start of the week, despite the decline in the U.S. dollar index. Traders of USD/JPY ignored the general weakening of the US currency and even updated the local high (131.14). We will discuss the reasons for such behavior below, but first of all we should pay attention to the most important fact: the bulls failed to settle above the resistance level of 131.00 (middle line of the indicator Bollinger Bands on the D1 chart). Bulls found it hard to climb above this level, which speaks about how unstable their position is. The scale is still in favor of the yen, even in that isolated "coordinate system", in which the pair has to trade.

Yen at the helm
What is the peculiarity of the pair's behavior?

For so many years, the yen acted as a follower, while the greenback took the lead. The Bank of Japan's monetary policy with Governor Haruhiko Kuroda, who was appointed to his post in 2013, repeated the same mantra month after month - that the central bank is committed to accommodative policy and, if necessary, ready to further ease monetary policy parameters. Everybody got used to this rhetoric and did not react to it, at least in the context of the USD/JPY pair. Nearly all of the BOJ meetings were of a pass-through nature, so they had little effect on the price values.

But everything changed in December, when the BOJ allowed long-term Japanese government bond (JGB) yields to move in a wider range at the end of the last meeting in 2022. This decision was made, firstly, quite unexpectedly, and secondly - ahead of Kuroda's resignation (he will leave his post in April). Therefore, the market interpreted the outcome of the December meeting very unambiguously, coming to the conclusion that the central bank had taken the first step towards the normalization of monetary policy. Since then, the yen has ceased to be a "slave" in the USD/JPY pair: the focus is no longer just on the Federal Reserve's monetary policy prospects, but also on the prospects of a pivot in the Japanese central bank's policy.

The BOJ strikes back
The BOJ obviously did not expect such a violent reaction from the market and such unambiguous, categorical conclusions. That is why Kuroda said back in late December that the central bank was not going to abandon its ultra-loose monetary policy in the near future. But the market ignored his rhetoric.

Earlier this week, the bears had to deal with another blow: the BOJ published the minutes of its December meeting where several Governing Council members stressed that the "the Bank should carefully explain that it needs to continue with monetary easing, that its accommodative policy stance has not been changed,". The bears were then forced to retreat. Bulls took the initiative and hit a new local high on Tuesday, testing the 131.00 level of resistance. But they failed to hold on to their positions: the bears took the initiative as soon as the bullish momentum faded. At the moment, when this article was being written, the pair was already going down to the bottom of the 129th figure, almost 200 points away from the local high (in only 2 days!).

The pair is going down not only because the dollar is "moping" (dollar index is moving to the base of the 101st figure again), but the yen is also strengthening its positions due to "its" own fundamental factors.

Inflation, inflation, inflation
First, inflation in Japan continues to show an uptrend, renewing multi-year records. Overall consumer price inflation accelerated to 4.0% in December. Excluding fresh food and energy, consumer prices climbed 3.0% annually, and the corporate goods price index was up 10.2% y/y. On Friday, January 27, Japan will publish another important inflation indicator, the January Tokyo Consumer Price Index. It is considered a leading indicator for price movements across the country, so certain conclusions can be drawn from the published figures. If it will be in favor of the yen again, the USD/JPY pair may return to the area of 127-128 figures, where it was traded in early January.

Traders of the pair are now acting ahead of the consolidated forecasts. Thus, according to most experts, Tokyo's overall CPI will rise to 4.2%: the last time the figure was at that high was in November 1981. The other components of the report (excluding fresh food prices; excluding food and energy prices) should also show an uptrend.

Conclusions
Judging by the results of the last few days, we can conclude that the yen held its ground and did not let the bulls settle above the resistance level of 131.00. Undoubtedly, the greenback, which is getting weaker all over the market again, has also played its part. But we should also consider that the pair was rising this week while the USD index was falling. Therefore, the pair is bearish also due to the strengthening of the Japanese currency. Further price declines will largely depend on this week's key releases: if US GDP growth data for Q4 and the core PCE index come out in the red, while Tokyo CPI surprises with its greenback, the pressure on the pair will only intensify. The main bearish target is 127.30 (bottom line of the Bollinger Bands indicator on the D1 chart).