Forex Picks — LaidTrades

The Decade of the Philippine Peso?

A lot of people are asking, will the Philippine peso continue to strengthen against the US dollar? Based on its monthly chart, I’d say that there’s a good chance that it will especially if the USDPHP pair breaks the 43.668 support. If and when it does, the next obvious support would not be at 42.00 as some financial analyst predict but at 40.00. Say the peso buying in tandem with the dollar selling continues and the 40.00 marker gets breached as well, then the pair’s next downside stage would be at 37.50. Actually, I do not want to alarm those who are highly leverage in the greenback. Notice, however, the huge head and shoulders pattern that could be forming already. If this pattern gets validated by a break below 40.00 then it is quite possible that the peso could recover its former glory back in its hay day and trade near the 26.00 versus the USD once again.

The question is, will the Banko Sentral ng Pilipinas (Central Bank of the Philippines) allow the Philippine Peso to appreciate that much? Well, the BSP is not a rookie in protecting the peso. It already defended the peso’s increase in valuation in the past to protect the country’s export industry, foreign direct investments, and the money that the Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) are sending back. Hence, it is possible for the BSP to do the same. If it does, then the greenback could rally back towards 46.00 or even 48.00 versus the peso. Still, the global market has the bigger influence regarding the peso. So, continued increase in remittances, which by the way takes up a good chunk of the country’s total income, plus the broad-based weakness in the USD (this was explained in my recent post, please see it here) would benefit the PHP. Companies all over the world are expected continue to lessen their operating costs, thus, supporting the Philippines’ BPO industry and its FDIs in general. Such would also reflect positively in the peso.

Would a higher peso valuation benefit the Philippines? The Philippines is not really an export-based country so even if the country’s export sector gets negatively affected, it would not reflect badly on its overall output. For the longest time, majority of the country GDP is from domestic consumption. Hence, an increase in the peso’s valuation would even encourage more consumption as imports would then be cheaper. Cheaper imports of course would allow local companies to better access and purchase technology that were once scarce, making the processes of the local industries more efficient. Such could also allow local companies to develop their technology which would mark the country’s move from a ‘third world’ country to at least second. Now, will that scenario happen within the next decade? Only time will tell but I’m optimistic that it will.

Things are Looking More Depressed For the Mighty Dollar

Indeed, things are looking more depressed for the greenback. Now, what led me to say such pessimistic statement? Well, technically speaking, the US dollar index (USDX) which is a measure of the greenback’s valuation against a [Read more...]

EURO To Rise By A Whopping 1,250 Pips Against the US Dollar?

Hiyo FX peeps! Did I get your attention? Yes. I believe that its very likely that the EURUSD pair could gain by about 1,250 pips. Now that’s a lot! As you can see from its daily chart, the fiber has recently broken out from a very nice cup and handle formation. At present, the pair is trading just above the neckline of the pattern. With the stochastics in the overbought territory, it could exchange in a range-bound fashion for awhile before moving north. Now, a move past the 1.3500 resistance could send it on the way towards its minimum upside target (computed by projecting the height of the pattern from the point of breakout at 1.4750. If all go well, it could achieve this target in about 6 months which is also the time that it took to form the pattern.

Despite the recent dip in Europe’s Purchasing Managers’ Indices (PMIs), the business climate in Germany as measured in the German Ifo Business Climate Index surprisingly jumped to its highest score in more than three years this month. The index came in at 106.8 which is over the market’s 106.3 estimate. This rise indicates that German companies can withstand the weaker international demand. On the other side of the globe, in the US, the Fed’s inclination to place another set of stimulus programs to support the slowing growth in the US’s economy has of course weakened the greenback to the benefit of the other non-dollar currencies like the EUR. This plus the rally in the US equities markets have also urged investors to move away from the USD in exchange of the higher yielding assets and anti-dollars like the euro.

Just now, the US’s core durable orders for the month of August have grown by 2.0%, which is almost twice of the 0.9% forecast. The previous month’s change was also positively revised to -2.8% from -3.8%. These numbers signify that the chances of the earlier threat of a double dip recession in the US economy have gotten lesser and lesser.

For next week, the CB Consumer Confidence in September is seen to fall to 52.5 from 53.5. But given the strong rally in the global equities markets for the past two weeks which show the manifestation of consumer confidence in the markets, it is therefore possible for the index to have a better-than-expected result. A better-than-projected mark, as we know, could spur some risk taking and EUR buying.

Swiss Franc, Pausing Before Making Another Move North?

Hiyo FX friends! Here’s my short and sweet technical view on the CHFJPY pair. As you can see from its daily chart, the pair has broken out from a rare inverted head and shoulders continuation pattern. You see, an inverted head and shoulders pattern is generally a bullish reversal pattern although it can occur as a continuation from time to time as in this case. In any case, the upside target for the pair, judging by the height of the pattern and projecting it from the point of breakout, would be somewhere below 88.00. Sustained buying interest could push it over to that marker. At present, though, the pair’s move up north could take a halt given its overbought condition. Given this, it is possible for the pair to range or even retrace for awhile. If ever it weakens, the neckline of the previous formation should keep it afloat. Still, I could more or less say that things are looking up for the Swiss franc in the near term. Long Swiss franc anyone?

Australian Dollar To Rise By 10% Against the Yen?

It’s another manic week Forex friends! In today’s FX feature I present to you the daily chart of AUDJPY. As you can see, the pair has recently broken out (upside) from a nice symmetrical triangle formation. This breakout could swing the pair towards its previous high near the 88.00 marker. Projecting the base of the triangle from the point of breakout, the resulting upside target would be at 88.00 as well. The Aussie’s run, however, may be tempered for awhile because conditions are already overbought. The pair could range or retrace shortly before heading north again. And given it’s recent spike, it could potentially form a flag or a pennant pattern. At present, the AUDJPY pair is trading just above 80.00. Therefore, if it reaches 88.00, that would be a sweet 10% gain (1:1 margin).

The recent rally in the global equities market and gold’s rush towards fresh all-time high (see my recent post here) have helped the commodity dollars like the AUD. For this week, no high impact economic reports are due from Australia. The major releases, though, from the US, Canada, and New Zealand would more likely sway the Aussie’s short term movement. The US Fed, of course, will have its monetary policy decision on September 21. Building permits, new and existing home sales plus durable goods orders are due as well from the US. In Canada, the country’s CPI and retail sales accounts are on deck on September 21 and 22. New Zealand, Australia’s neighbor, will likewise publish its second quarter GDP growth. Risk appetite, resulting from one or all the these accounts could benefit the non-dollar currencies like the Aussie. The opposite, however, would weigh on it. Watch out for these reports!

Is the Euro Back on the Bullish Track?

Well, well, well. The EURUSD pair or the fiber as what traders call it in the streets appears to have broken out from a rectangle or consolidation. You see, the had been trending up from a low of 1.1876 last June 7 to a high of 1.3334 in August before correcting. All along I thought that the pair would already reverse but it did not. What it did was it only corrected to its 50% Fibonacci retracement level. It then continued to range or trade sideways until yesterday where it broke out to the upside when it finally breached the 1.2900 hurdle. However, the pair seems to be meeting some temporary resistance at 1.3000. If and when it moves past this number, chances are it would once again revisit its previous high just above 1.3300. Given the upside breakout, I can say that there is now a higher probability that the euro will move higher against the US dollar in the near term.

Germany’s September Zew economic sentiment index came in sour, unexpectedly falling to -4.7 (vs. 10.7) from from 14.0. The same sentiment index for the entire euro zone also slipped to 4.4 from 15.8. The slide in confidence can be attributed to the wide budget cuts done by the governments that make up the economic zone. Remember that the zone was being plagued with a credit crisis. One way to plug the countries’ deficit holes would be to drastically slash their spending. A cut in spending would obviously limit the business activity in the region but given Europe’s present fiscal situation, such move is really warranted.

Despite this, the euro still managed to outmaneuver the greenback thanks to the better than expected US core retail sales. Core retail sales in August grew by 0.6% which is twice of the market’s 0.3% consensus.

No high impact economic reports are due from the euro zone for the rest of this week. The euro, however, could take its cue from the releases from the United States. Today, the Us will publish its Empire State manufacturing index and its August industrial production. The former is seen to have reached 8.7 from 7.1 while the latter is expected to have increased again by 0.3%. The expected improvement in the Philadelphia Fed manufacturing index (from -7.7 to 0.9) which will be due tomorrow and the projected jump in the Prelim UoM Consumer Sentiment (from 68.9 to 70.3) could also induce some risk taking. Watch out for these reports.

Swiss Franc Flirting With All-time High Against the Greenback

Welcome to another day of FX trading! In today’s fx feature is the weekly chart of the USDCHF. As you can see, the pair has been losing a lot ground for several weeks now. After hitting a high of 1.1731 last May 31, it has slid since then. In fact, it had already touched the parity level early today. Still, previous supports around the 1.0000 psychological level have kept the price from falling any further. If if the 1.0000 marker gets breached, the pair could revisit its 1-year low at 0.9916. A break of this low could send it towards the pair’s all time low at 0.9635. But with investors protecting the price at 1.0000 and an oversold condition, the pair could, however, stage a rally.

Renewed confidence in the global markets have weakened the dollar’s valuation against its peers as of late. Both the DJIA and the broader S&P 500 have again logged in some beautiful gains yesterday, rising by 0.78% and 1.11%, respectively. Yesterday’s jump in confidence which was reflected in the rise in the equities markets was because of the Basel III agreement that was concluded yesterday. The Basel III is an international regulatory code that requires banks to raise their common equity to 4.5% from 2.0%. This equity will be used by the banks as buffer in case they encounter liquidity problems from say investor withdrawals and the like. In the East, China’s handsome industrial production (13.9%) and retail sales (18.2%) growth further supported the market’s optimism.

The highlight of this week for Switzerland is the Swiss National Bank’s monetary policy decision on Thursday (September 16). The SNB is expected to keep its interest rate unchanged at 0.25%. The bank, though, is very notorious in intervening in the fx market to prevent the Swissy appreciation. They do so because a higher Swissy negatively impacts their export industry. With the Swissy trading at an all-time high against the euro and flirting with historical highs versus the Us dollar, the SNB could indeed meddle in the market. If it does, then a sudden spike against the Swiss franc could occur. Nonetheless, even if the SNB intervenes, its effect would just be temporary. Market sentiment is still stronger and as long as optimism remains, the Swissy could strengthen still.

The Aussie’s Due For a Retracement

Happy weekend FX people! On today’s FX feature is an update of the AUDUSD pair which I posted last September 5 (please see it here). As you can see, the pair has continued to rise within an ascending channel. And as I’ve suggested, the pair indeed rose to mark its fifth wave (wave 5). If the Elliot Wave Principle holds true and if my wave counting is correct then as the theory suggests, the pair should be due for a retracement. Remember that the EWP predicts a correction in the prices after the completion of the fifth wave, starting with wave A and ending with wave C. And given the obvious technical resistances ahead and an overbought condition as indicated in the stochastics, the pair could indeed dip or at least move sideways. If the Aussie weakens against the US dollar, the peak of the third wave around the 0.9200 level and the channel’s support should keep it from falling further.

The Aussie along with the non-dollar currencies rose this Friday due to the better-than-expected July wholesale inventories report in the US. Wholesale inventories has risen by 1.3% as compared to the 0.4% market forecast. China’s better-than-projected industrial production (13.9% vs. 13.1%) , retail sales (18.4% vs. 18.0%), new loans (545 billion vs. 500 billion), M2 money supply (19.2% vs. 17.5%), and the slower PPI (4.3% vs. 4.6%), have also helped the Aussie. Remember that Australia is one of the biggest supplier of raw materials to China. Hence, an increasing business activity means more business for Australia. A weaker PPI, in the same way, benefits the Aussie since a monetary tightening by the Chinese government would be postponed which would allow for business to go on without additional restrictions as of the moment.

For the coming week, no market moving events are scheduled in Australia. Given the lack of economic reports from the country, investors could take this as a chance to pocket some of their profits from their long Aussie positions.

Canadian Dollar Remains Weak Versus the Yen Despite BOC Rate Hike

Good day FX peeps! To cap the week I present to you an update of the CADJPY. You see, the pair has consolidated within a small symmetrical triangle after it broke down from a bigger descending triangle formation. As of the moment, the pair is already nearing the apex of symmetrical triangle. This suggests that a break out whether to the upside or to the downside is imminent. But given the pair’s general trend (downtrend) and its recent break down from a descending triangle formation, I can say that it has a higher chance of moving south than north. Even it breaks the resistance of the small triangle, a solid resistance is still present at the 82.00 marker which incidentally is also the former support of the previous descending triangle to push back down. In any case, a move below the support of the present triangle could send it back to the previous low at 78.41. A move above the 82.00 level, on the other hand, could change the pair’s course to at least sideways.

In my post last September 6 (please see it here), I mentioned that it’s possible for the Bank of Canada (BOC) to hold its interest rate unchanged rather than hiking it. However, I was proven wrong when the central bank actually raised its benchmark interest rate as expected by the market by 0.25% to 1.00% from 0.75%, making the interest rate differential between the Canadian dollar and the Japanese yen wider. This decision, though, was not enough for the CADJPY to break key resistances at its long term downtrend line and at 82.00 as it only increased from an opening of 79.93 to close at 80.96. Yesterday’s weaker-than-projected housing starts number (183k vs. 185k) and the worsening of Canada’s trade balance figure to -C$2.7 billion from -C$1.8 billion did not help as well.

Canada’s employment change and unemployment rate for the month of August are on deck today at 11:00 am GMT. Canadian firms are seen to have added about 30,800 jobs in August after laying about 9,300 during the previous month. The country’s jobless rate, though, is still projected to remain the same at 8.0%. Generally, an improvement in Canada’s labor market is bullish for the economy and the Loonie. But is the expected increase in employment or better enough for investors to push the CADJPY above 82.00? Let us see.

British Pound Weakening Against the Swiss Franc

Hiyo FX peeps! Here’s a weekly chart of the GBPCHF pair. As you can see, the pair has been trading sideways after hitting a low of 1.5118 back in December 29 back in 2008. Just recently, however, the Swiss franc was able to hurdle below the 1.5825 marker against the British pound. Given this price action, the next support that I see for the GBPCHF pair is the low that it marked in 2008 (1.5118). Hence, the pair could fall back to around the mentioned low unless it is able to climb over the support-now-turned-resistance at 1.5825.

The main event of this week for the UK will be the will be the monetary policy decision of the Bank of England (BOE) on Thusday (September 9). Last month, the bank’s MPC kept its monetary policies unchanged. It left its interest rate at 0.50% and its asset purchase facility at 200 billion. The UK’s economy began to grow during the last quarter of last year. It even expanded by 1.2% during the second half of this year. The bank, however, views that there is still a big chance that this recovery will not be sustained. It said that there are still a lot of uncertainties and risks surrounding the UK’s market.

From then until now, the UK’s economic environment remains mixed. While the country’s retail sales came out with a 1.1% growth against the 0.7% consensus, the country’s home prices remain subdued. In fact, the UK’s HPI is on a 3-month losing streak, dipping by another 0.9% during the last month. Both manufacturing and services PMI also showed weakness during the last couple of periods. Switzerland, on the other hand, showed surprising 4.8% jump in their retail sales, more than doubling the 2.3% market estimate. So between the UK and Switzerland, the later appears to be the less fragile.

The Bank of Canada Could Hold Its Rate Unchanged

Welcome to another week of forex trading! In today’s FX feature is the daily cast of the CADJPY. As you can see from the chart, the pair broke down from a descending triangle pattern. Since then, it has been trading between 78.60 and 81.70. Last Friday, we the Canadian dollar rallied against the Japanese yen to push the CADJPY pair closer to where the former support of the triangle. In my view, there is still some room for the pair to move higher although it could turn back when it hits a resistance at this former support. If it does, it could fall back to around 78.60.

The Bank of Canada will hold its monetary policy decision this coming Wednesday (September 8). The bank is expected to raise its interest rate to 1.00% from 0.75%. But like what I said in my title, there’s an outside chance that the BOC could surprise the markets by not hiking its benchmark interest rate.

Let’s us check Canada’s recent economic data to see why. First of all, the country’s unemployment rate unexpectedly rose to 8.-% from 7.9% with firms cutting about 9,300 jobs. Its Ivey PMI, which gauges the activity of both manufacturing and sercies industry through the eyes of purchasing managers, also dipped by several notches to 54.0 from 58.9. More importantly, Canada’s wholesale and retail sales have continued to suffer with the former slipping by 0.3% and the core retail sales sliding again by another 0.5%. As a result, the country’s core CPI for the month has also slipped by 0.1%.

The above data shows that the situation as of the moment does not merit a rate hike as of yet especially with the unexpected slide in the latest month-ever-month CPI. The Loonie would almost surely take a hit if the BOC surprises the market by not raising its interest rates. But in case it does, the Canadian dollar could still trade on a range bound fashion or even fall since a rate hike is already forecasted and priced in by the market.

Australian Dollar’s Silent Rise

Good day to you my fellow FX men and women! Today I present to you the daily chart of the AUDUSD. As you can see, the pair has been trading within an ascending channel since the middle of May 2010. Of course, the pair would more like trend higher as long as the channel’s support does not buckle. The Aussie, however, could meet some resistance at the pair’s previous high near the 0.9200 level. With the stochastics in the overbought area, it could rest for a while before making another move to the north. A move past the 0.9200 level could push it towards 0.9300. The Elliot Wave Principle (EWP) also seems to confirm this potential price action. If my wave counting is correct, the AUDUSD could already be in its fifth wave. This then suggests that the next short term up-move would more likely surpass the peak at 0.9200.

Recent economic data in Australia goes to support the positive sentiment towards the Aussie. For one, the corporate profits of Australian firms for the second quarter of the year have unexpectedly soared by 18.9% compared to the market’s 5.9% growth forecast. The firms’ 1Q scores were also positively revised to 4.3% from 3.9%. The country’s building approvals have also expanded for the first time in 5 months. The account surprisingly rose 2.3% in July after dipping by 3.4% during the previous month. Retail sales for the same period have also shown some good figures, expanding by 0.7% in July and 0.4% in June. More importantly, the country’s second quarter gross domestic product (GDP), has surpassed the market’s 0.9% forecast with a 1.2% growth. the first quarter’s overall output expansion was also revised upwards to 0.7% from 0.5%.

On Tuesday (September 7), the Reserve Bank of Australia will have its monetary policy decision. While the bank is still expected to hold its benchmark interest rates at 4.5%, the bank’s tone would more likely lie towards the hawkish end of the spectrum given the improvements economy. Any positive outlook regarding the country would of course be bullish on the Australian dollar as well.

The EURO Bears Got Trapped!

Hiyo my avid forex fans! In my previous article about the euro, I mentioned that its recent rally after breaking down from what appears to be a head and shoulders formation could be over soon. However, a full blown breakdown and a reversal did not really pan out as the euro bulls were able to out-muscle the bears to place them back on top. As you can see from the EURUSD’s 4-hour chart, the bears were forced to cover their short positions when the price of the euro went back above the neckline of the head and shoulders. The pair actually found support at the 50% Fibonacci retracement level which interestingly lies almost in line with the psychological 1.2600 marker. For awhile, it met some resistance at the neckline and it even fell below the support of the rising wedge (please see my previous post here). But like I said, the euro was able to turn the tide to its favor.

Yesterday, the fiber of the EURUSD broke out from a bullish pennant pattern. Though, it would more likely range for awhile before making a move north. The stochastics, being in the overbought region, also suggests a temporary pause in its ascent. If its able to move past the resistance at 1.2900 then its next stop would be at 1.3000. A move past 1.3000 could propel it higher all the way to the peak of the head of the former formation.

The better-than-expected US employment report pushed the anti-dollar currencies like the EUR back into the spotlight. US firms only slashed 54,000 jobs as compared to the 101,000 estimate. The job cuts in the previous month were also revised downwards to 54,000 from 131,000. Still, the US’s unemployment rate rose slightly to 9.6% from 9.5%. Nonetheless, the encouraging jobs numbers (compared to the market’s consensus) lifted the investors risk appetite during the session.

No high impact economic reports are due this week in the euro zone. The euro, however, could take its cue from the developments in the other nations particularly in Australia, Canada, and the UK. Australia, the UK, and Canada will have their monetary policy decision this week. Australia and the UK are expected to keep their rates unchanged while Canada is anticipated to hike. Any hikes and/or hawkish statements could favor the non-dollar currencies including the euro.

Are the Dollar and Euro to be Dance Partners in Lieu of Domestic Growth?

Pick your movie metaphor, but it appears that the U.S. Dollar and the Euro are entwined in their own version of the “Last Tango in Paris”, where neither is sure where the relationship will head, but time marches on. Ever since the Greek debt crisis hit the global stage in May, markets have been in turmoil, until finally resuming something short of normalcy in the past few weeks. Volatility has subsided. Fundamentals seem to mean something once again, but uncertainty still hangs like a foreboding cloud over the horizon.

A look at the “EUR/USD” chart history for the past year does not reveal any hints of where it might head either:

Forex news reports have showcased the Euro’s ten-year march to fame and glory. It bobbled in 2008 when Lehman Brothers went down, but resumed its march thereafter, only to tumble once again in May. It rests now around the $1.30 mark, the same range it visited during its 2008 fall. Perhaps, U.S. tourists and businessmen will get more for their buck when traveling to Europe these days, but there are more important issues to consider going forward.

The Euro and Greenback have been tied together in this sideways trading pattern for over a month. German exporters are brimming with confidence and have been quick to grasp a competitive advantage in the global export market, luxury cars and all. U.S. exporters remain hopeful, but the turmoil in commodity markets happened after planting season had already begun, leaving no opportunity to adjust priorities. U.S. importers are eyeing European goods once again, but more imports, even at reduced prices, will only exacerbate a deficit-laden trade imbalance and weaken the Dollar more. The two dance partners twirl about as all onlookers debate when the dance will end and a breakout will occur.

Europe has well-documented debt issues among its weaker member states, known euphemistically as the PIIGS (Portugal, Italy, Ireland, Greece, and Spain). Concerns about a possible Greek default on its national debt are surfacing again in the news, and German bankers are disturbed that Spain has ignored requests for fiscal austerity and resumed public spending on national projects. The U.S. has debt and deficit problems of its own, corporations are sitting on nearly $2 trillion in cash but will not hire domestically, and any government policy changes in an election year are highly unlikely.

On balance, the relative value of the respective economies may be deadlocked due to fundamentals for some time to come. As for near-term projections, the analysts at Forecasts.org stand by their forecast of a weakening Dollar for the remainder of the year, as the Euro rises to $1.35 in December and crests at $1.36 in the quarter thereafter. Although there has been a brief dollar comeback of late related to not only the Euro, but also other “basket” currencies, the question is will this strength hold if poor preliminary GDP news is released this Friday? This entire week is laden with economic data releases, and consumer confidence figures and another speech by Fed Chairman Bernanke will complete the Friday trinity, so to speak.

The major “elephant in the room” that is blocking progress is the need for domestic growth. Domestic growth creates employment and increases tax revenues that can reduce deficits and pay down debts. According to the IMF’s recently published “World Outlook Report”, GDP growth for developed countries of the world has been on a 40-year decline from 4% in 1970 down to 2% for 2010 and the five years ahead. A GDP growth figure of 1.5% is seen as necessary to provide enough jobs for the growing population on annual basis. While we languish about 2%, developing countries are more in the 8% range, with China trying to rein their industrial growth machine back to 9.7% for 2010.

Gold has also made an incredible run up of 7% in the last four weeks, indicating that risk aversion is once again creeping into market psychology. Concerns of a possible double-dip recession or a Greek default have investors worried. Although corporate earnings were up in the stratosphere, the emphasis was on Asia for future growth, while most of Asia is presently consolidating their near-term growth plans. Pessimists believe that a major drop in the S&P 500 is imminent.

But, the beat goes on, as does the “EUR/USD” dance. In the “Last Tango in Paris”, Marlon Brando recants from his young French protégée, but soon presses for more commitment, only to be rebuked by a gunshot that leaves him dying on a staircase balcony. The two lovers were “caught up in the frenzied beat of a carnal dance they could not seem to stop.” Hopefully, our Greenback will have a better fate, or at least choose a waltz instead.

Japanese Yen Aiming for the All-Time High – August 31, 2010

Good day ladies and gents. Well, it’s been a pleasant couple of months or even years for the Japanese yen bulls. As you can see, the USDJPY has sunk for 4 consecutive months in a row! It’s actually been on a downward slope since the last quarter of 2007! Nice. You see, the pair was running at a high of 124.16 back in 2007. Today, it touched a low of 83.59. That’s a gain of more than 4,000 pips in just three years for the yen over the greenback! The yen bulls would be celebrating with their sakes up high by now. Kombei! Still, things look even rosier for them as the USDJPY is poised for another drop. Just recently, the pair has fallen below it’s 2009 low. Given this, the next support that I see from the technical side of things is its previous low at 80.43 which was set way back in April 1995. If the yen continues to move up over the USD, then the pair would more likely revisit the mentioned all-time low.

The yen has been getting much favor from investors due to the recent weakness in the global equities markets. The market perceives the yen, aside from the greenback, as a “safe” currency due to its ultra low interest rate of 0.10%. Basically, Japan is lending out free money just to encourage lending and spending. Note also that Japan is the number three biggest country in the world. On top of that, like the US Fed, the Bank of Japan, has the capacity to just print more money to service their debt. So when there is risk aversion, the market tends to divert their funds to the safety of the yen and away from the higher yielding assets. And between the USD and the JPY, the latter is still perceived as the more safe given its lower interest rate.

Prime Minister Naoto Kan and Bank of Japan Governor Masaaki Shirakawa have been trying to verbally intervene in the markets by saying that they would start preventing the yen’s rapid appreciation. The market, however, called their bluff as evidenced by the ongoing rise of the currency. Remember that the BOJ has expanded again its loan program by 10 trillion yen on top of the 920 billion yen stimulus of the Japanese government to encourage consumption. Naturally, the yen should weaken given the increase in money supply but it did the opposite as it continued to strengthen. As of now, it appears the the overall market forces has the better say and power on the valuation of the yen than the BOJ itself. So if the global situation worsens ans and say the US market goes into a double dip, then the yen would more likely benefit some more.

A Bearish Pattern in the AUDJPY – August 31, 2010

Hello forex peeps! For months now, the AUDJPY currency pair has been moving sideways. Apparently it has been setting up a triangle formation in its daily chart and could be bearish as it came from a downtrend four months ago. So is the AUDJPY currency pair bound to go lower? I would say “yes” once it breaks below the current support line (red line). If it does, it could head all the way down and test the 70.00 psychological support (black line) until it further drops again. On the upside, if AUDJPY manages to climb up, it could first test its current resistance (blue line). Once that hurdle get cleared out, there could be some selling pressure at the next resistance at the 80.00 psychological area.

Is the Euro’s Short Rally Over? – August 30, 2010

Good day to you my Forex friends! Here’s an update on the EURUSD or the fiber as what they call it on Wall Street. The last time I covered the pair (please see my previous post here), it had just broken down from a head and shoulders formation. Since then, the pair has rallied to form what appears to be a rising wedge pattern. In case you do not know, a wedge is generally a continuation pattern as it just represent a short term rebound in prices. Such rally could be due to profit taking or short covers. At present, the pair is encountering some resistance at the neckline of the head and shoulders. If it’s unable to move past the neckline and it falls below the support of the rising wedge, it could slip at least back to 1.2600 level. Further weakness could push it all the way down to the previous low at 1.2150.

The highlight of the week for the euro zone will be the the European Central Bank’s monetary policy decision on Thursday (September 2). The ECB is expected to hold its interest rates again at 1.00% following a drop in German yields. 30-year yield, for your information, have dropped to below 3.00%. And despite the “cheap” borrowing costs, inflation at least in Germany remains subdued. In fact, the latest month-over-month German CPI reading reads at 0.00%. With consumption and inflation low, the ECB would likely be a little dovish about its short term forecast on the euro zone’s economy as a whole. Such could then send investors back to the safety of the USD.

Are the Pound Bulls About To Strike Back? – August 16, 2010

Welcome to another week of forex trading! In today’s FX feature is an update of the GBPUSD pair which I posted back on August 4 (please see my previous blog here). As you can see from its 4-hour chart, the GBPUSD or the Cable has retraced downwards after reaching a 6-month high of 1.5998 on August 4. But despite its recent weakness, I am still bullish on the British pound. At present, the pair is trading just about just above 1.5500. The previous high at 1.5500 plus the uptrend line should be able to prevent the pair from falling further. A bounce off these supports could push the pair back up to 1.5900. A break below 1.5500, on the flip side, could send it down to 1.5100. But with an oversold condition, as indicated in the stochastics, and an intact uptrend line, the pound, in my opinion, has a higher chance of moving north at least in the short term.

On the economic front, the UK’s inflation and retail sales figures are scheduled to be released on August 17 and 19, respectively. Month-over-month CPI in July is seen to be at -0.2% due to weaker consumer spending. Because of this, the year-over-year count is projected to have slowed to 3.1% from 3.2%. July retail sales is also anticipated to have tapered to 0.4% from 0.7%. And according to the data that was published by the British Retail Consortium (BRC), sales in the retail level have indeed weakened as fears over a probable slash in government spending caused the consumers to only spend for their essential needs.

Since a dip in the UK’s inflation and retail sales accounts is already expected, the market has likely priced this. Given this, the pound can just trade in a range-bound fashion unless a worse-than-projected tallies are printed. A surprise upticks in the accounts, on the other hand, can push the pound higher.

The Euro Came Crashing – August 12, 2010

What’s up forex peeps?! Welcome to another day of forex trading! We have the EURUSD in today’s fx pick. As you can see from its 4-hour chart, the EURUSD or the fiber came crashing in yesterday’s trading. After reaching a new 3-month high just above 1.3300. , the euro slid, breaking the pair’s uptrend line in the process. In less than a week, the fell by more than 400 pips against the greenback! Ouch! At present, the pair is trading just below 1.2900 and since the next obvious support is still somewhere within 1.2800 and 1.2700, it still have some room to move lower. If the support here gets taken out, beware as the pair could fall all the way to 1.2500! But given its recent drop and its oversold condition, it can also range or even retrace as sellers pocket some of their profits.

Fundamentally, the slide in the the euro was caused by several factors. The weaker-than-expected retail sales (17.9% versus 18.5%) in China damped the confidence of the market. You see, a 17.9% is not really weak but apparently the market is expecting a lot from China. Why? Well, China is now the number 2 biggest economy in the world and a robust figure in its retail sales could mean business for all its trading partners. The number 3 economy, Japan, also failed to impress with only a 1.9% jump in its machinery orders, lower than the 5.6% forecast.

The Bank of England and the US Federal Reserve worsened the situation further by saying that risks are still present in their respective economy.

As a result, risk aversion in the broader market made a comeback, leading investors to flee to the safety of the greenback. Stocks, as well as currencies like the euro, as a consequence, were sold off.

The highlight of today will be the release of the US’s unemployment claims for the week ending July 31. Initial jobless claims are seen to be at 465,000, lesser than the 479,000 tallied the week before. Now, lesser jobless claims could ease the markets while a worse count would more likely extend the losses. Watch out for its announcement today at 12:30 pm GMT.

End of the Euro’s Rally Versus the Swissy? – August 2, 2010

Hiyo FX men and women! Welcome to another week and month of forex trading! On today’s canvas is the daily chart of the EURCHF pair. As you can see, the euro has rallied against the Swiss franc after it hit a new historical low at on July 1. Notice that the pair has since traded within a rising channel. However, it appears that it has met some resistance at the 1.3800 market and at the 50% Fibonacci retracement line the I drew. If the pair falls below the support of the rising channel, it could once again revisit its historical low. But if the euro buying continues and the pair clears 1.3800, the 1.4000 price could be its next target. Though with the stochastics in the overbought region, I would be very cautious in buying the pair at this point. But that’s just me.

Well, the rally in the euro was pretty much fueled by a combination of profit taking on short euro positions, good economic data from the euro zone, and better-than-expected second quarter earnings of firms in the US and Europe. But with the lack of positive catalyst coming from the euro zone this week, the euro’s run could be cut short. Switzerland, on the other hand, will publish its year-over-year retail sales figure for the month of June today at 7:15 am GMT. Switzerland’s sales are seen to have grown by another 4.1% which is better than the 3.8% gain that it had during the previous month. Such growth or better would reflect positive on the Swiss economy and the Swissy.

Let’s see how it goes. Stay tuned!