EUR/USD: European business statistics in traders' focus
The EUR/USD pair is trading in a corrective trend at 1.0461, which is supported by the weakening of the US dollar and positive statistics from the eurozone.
In January, business activity in the French manufacturing sector increased from 41.9 to 45.3 points, in Germany from 42.5 to 44.1 points, and across the eurozone from 45.1 to 46.1 points. The index for the services sector also showed improvement, increasing in France from 49.3 to 48.9 points, in Germany from 51.2 to 52.5 points, and in the eurozone from 51.6 to 51.4 points. The composite indicator for the region rose from 49.6 to 50.2 points, which reinforces expectations of a possible easing of the ECB's policy, which is scheduled to meet on Thursday at 15:45 (GMT+2). Analysts have noted signs of an improvement in business sentiment, which could form the basis for a long-term economic recovery in the region.
The US dollar continues to decline, trading at 107.50 in the USDX index. The weakening is due to the statements of President Donald Trump, who initiated reforms in tariff policy. Investors also paid less attention to statistics on the real estate market. In December, sales in the secondary housing market slowed from 4.8% to 2.2%, reaching 4.24 million units compared with 4.15 million a month earlier. Despite the slowdown, the indicators have remained in positive territory for the fourth month, which inspires hopes for further recovery of the sector.
- Resistance levels: 1.0510, 1.0660.
- Support levels: 1.0430, 1.0260.
USD/TRY: the Central Bank of Turkey lowered the rate to 45.00%
During morning trading, the USD/TRY pair is showing growth, approaching the 36.6800 mark and trying to overcome it from above. Despite starting with a gap down, the bulls managed to almost completely compensate for the loss.
Market participants expect new impulses that can support the US dollar. On Wednesday, at 21:00 (GMT+2), the US Federal Reserve will hold a meeting, at which, according to forecasts, the regulator will leave the key rate at 4.50%. However, recent statements by President Donald Trump about the need to reduce interest rates soon and the refusal to increase duties on imports from China have created additional pressure on the US currency. At the same time, starting from February 1, it is planned to increase taxes on imports of goods from Canada and Mexico, which causes uncertainty among investors.
The lira, in turn, continues to lose ground under the influence of internal factors. At a meeting on January 23, the Central Bank of Turkey lowered the interest rate by 250 basis points to 45.00%, reaffirming its commitment to fighting inflation, which has significantly increased the financial burden on households. The regulator announced its intention to create conditions for a gradual reduction in the basic level of consumer prices to 5.0% in the medium term. Meanwhile, in December, annual inflation dropped from 47.09% to 44.38%, but independent analysts believe that the real figures are much higher. The rise in inflation in recent years has been linked to the devaluation of the Turkish lira and the unconventional approach to economic policy pursued by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
- Resistance levels: 35.7250, 35.8000, 35.8800, 36.0000.
- Support levels: 35.6500, 35.5589, 35.4159, 35.3000.
USD/CHF: recovery after weekly decline
The US currency is showing weak growth against the Swiss franc, partially recovering from an uncertain decline at the end of the previous week: the pair is testing the 0.9070 level for an upward breakout, but the dollar remains influenced by negative macroeconomic data released on Friday. In particular, the index of business activity in the service sector in January fell from 56.8 to 52.8 points, which turned out to be significantly worse than analysts' expectations at 56.5 points, while the indicator for the manufacturing sector increased from 49.4 to 50.1 points, exceeding forecasts of 49.6 points. Additionally, investors' attention was attracted by the decline in the consumer confidence index from the University of Michigan from 73.2 to 71.1 points.
Switzerland is expected to publish December data on foreign trade this week, which may shed light on the state of the national economy. According to previous reports, exports rose to 23.68 billion francs, while imports totaled 18.26 billion francs, which increased the trade surplus to 5.42 billion francs. These indicators reinforced positive expectations regarding the sustainability of the Swiss economy in the face of global uncertainty.
- Resistance levels: 0.9075, 0.9100, 0.9130, 0.9153.
- Support levels: 0.9037, 0.9000, 0.8957, 0.8929.
GBP/USD: stochastic warns of short-term risks of overbought instrument
The pound is retreating from the local highs of January 7, updated at the end of last week, and is now testing the 1.2445 level for a downward breakdown. Investors are waiting for the emergence of new factors that can affect the movement of quotations.
Friday's data from the UK, published on January 24, provided the currency with moderate support. The S&P Global index of business activity in the services sector fell from 51.5 points to 51.2 points in January, exceeding analysts' forecasts of 50.6 points. In the manufacturing sector, the index rose from 47.0 points to 48.2 points, also exceeding expectations of 47.1 points, and the composite index increased from 50.4 points to 50.9 points with forecasts of 50.0 points.
Rising inflation is once again posing a difficult choice for the Bank of England, said Chris Williamson, chief business economist at S&P. He noted that despite signs of economic stagnation and a deteriorating labor market situation that require lower borrowing costs, the regulator may face the need to control inflationary risks. The Bank of England is expected to lower the interest rate from the current 4.75% at its February 6 meeting after higher-than-forecast December inflation data. On a monthly basis, the consumer price index rose from 0.1% to 0.3%, and on an annual basis it slowed from 2.6% to 2.5%, which turned out to be lower than preliminary calculations. The core index excluding food and energy increased from 0.0% to 0.3%, but decreased from 3.5% to 3.2% in annual terms. Goldman Sachs analysts said that "price pressures were higher than expected," although medium-term inflation forecasts show signs of weakening. Experts predict the growth of the British economy by 0.9% in 2025, which is lower than the consensus estimate of 1.3%, and a reduction in the interest rate to 3.25% by mid-2026.
- Resistance levels: 1.2500, 1.2550, 1.2600, 1.2650.
- Support levels: 1.2450, 1.2400, 1.2359, 1.2300.