USD/JPY: traders' attention is focused on the details of the BoJ meetingThe USD/JPY pair remains in the upward correction phase, trading near the mark of 150.54, against the background of the predicted behavior of the Bank of Japan and disappointing macroeconomic data from the country.Market participants are carefully studying the published minutes of the last meeting of the regulator, which confirmed that the Bank of Japan does not intend to radically change its current monetary policy. The document emphasizes that a potential increase in the key rate will not be regarded as a tightening, but rather an adjustment within the framework of the current monetary stimulus conditions. The report also indicates that in January, the volume of government bond repurchases amounted to 4.5 trillion yen, down from 4.9 trillion a month earlier, maintaining a steady decline rate of 400.0 billion yen. Meanwhile, fresh statistics indicate a deterioration in business activity: the PMI in industry in March fell to 48.3 points from February 49.0, with expectations at 49.2, and the indicator in the services sector immediately dropped to 49.5 points against the previous value of 53.7, leaving the growth zone for the first time in 2025.Resistance levels: 151.30, 153.40.Support levels: 150.00, 147.10.USD/CAD: Ottawa prepares reform for market integrationThe USD/CAD pair is showing sluggish volatility around the 1.4315 mark, as traders wait and are in no hurry to take active action until clearer signals from the macroeconomic front appear.On Monday, the attention of American market participants was focused on preliminary March business activity data: the S&P Global manufacturing index fell from 52.7 to 49.8 points, which turned out to be worse than expected, while the services sector surprised with an increase from 51.0 to 54.3 points, providing strong support to the composite index, which rose to 53.5 points. Today, the focus is on reports on new home sales and housing price dynamics: according to forecasts, the price index may decrease to 0.2% month—on—month and rise to 4.7% year-on-year. Earlier, sales in the retail market in Canada decreased by 0.6% in January after an increase of 2.6%, while the base indicator slowed from 2.9% to 0.2%.Meanwhile, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney presented an ambitious project to form a single economic space within the country in response to the tightening of US tariff policy. The plan provides for the lifting of federal restrictions as part of an internal free trade agreement, which should simplify the movement of goods and ensure greater labor mobility for federally licensed professionals. Carney also announced investments in logistics infrastructure aimed at connecting energy regions with rail and road hubs, stressing that the central government will recognize the evaluation of regional projects as equivalent to the federal one, thereby speeding up the process of implementing major economic initiatives.Resistance levels: 1.4350, 1.4400, 1.4451, 1.4472.Support levels: 1.4300, 1.4250, 1.4200, 1.4145.NZD/USD: New Zealand economy strengthened in the fourth quarterThe New Zealand dollar stabilized against the US currency, remaining close to the 0.5725 mark after a significant decline recorded a day earlier.The main impetus for strengthening the position of the New Zealand currency was the trade statistics for February published the day before: the foreign trade balance showed a surplus for the first time in several months, amounting to 510 million dollars due to an increase in export earnings to 6.74 billion and a reduction in imports to 6.23 billion.In addition to foreign trade, the New Zealand economy was also supported by its recovery from the recent deep recession, which was not caused by pandemic restrictions: in the last quarter of last year, GDP unexpectedly increased 0.7%, exceeding the consensus forecast of analysts, who estimated an increase of only 0.5%. Senior Expert at Westpac Banking Corp. Michael Gordon explained that the final figures were close to the most optimistic market expectations. A positive trend was recorded in eleven of the sixteen key sectors of the economy, with real estate and services, social security and healthcare, as well as the retail segment and the hotel business among the growth leaders. At the same time, analysts believe that the prospects for accelerating the recovery are still limited, and this allows the New Zealand financial regulator to maintain its policy of lowering interest rates to boost domestic consumption and improve the business climate.Resistance levels: 0.5750, 0.5775, 0.5800, 0.5830.Support levels: 0.5700, 0.5672, 0.5650, 0.5633.Gold market analysisGold (XAU/USD) is showing cautious growth in Asian trading, gradually recovering losses after a two-day correction, during which quotes rolled back from historical peaks, approaching the level of 3015.00. Investors are assessing the prospects for further developments amid reports that the White House's new tariff policy may turn out to be less stringent than expected: restrictions are likely to affect only countries with negative trade balances with the United States, excluding more loyal partners. Nevertheless, tensions remain: the EU has so far been targeted in the supply of aluminum and steel, but a wider range of sanctions is possible, which creates additional nervousness in the markets.Along with this, the weakening of interest in gold was the result of growing optimism in the global economy, supported by rising yields on US Treasury securities, which reduces the attractiveness of protective assets. Yesterday's statistics on business activity in the United States only reinforced this trend: the S&P Global services sector index rose sharply to 54.3 points, significantly exceeding expectations of 51.2 points, while the manufacturing index fell below the key 50 mark, reaching 49.8 points with a forecast of 51.9. Meanwhile, the final composite index showed a steady increase from 51.6 to 53.5 points. Today, market participants will switch their attention to a fresh batch of macroeconomic reports from the United States: at 15:00 (GMT+2), new home sales data will be released, as well as updated values on the housing price index. Analysts predict a slowdown in monthly growth from 0.4% to 0.2%, while in annual terms — from 4.5% to 4.7%. These figures will become key indicators of the sustainability of American consumer demand and may affect the dynamics of gold in the short term.Resistance levels: 3025.00, 3038.21, 3057.40, 3075.00.Support levels: 3000.00, 2980.00, 2956.19, ...
USA: awaiting reports on the labor market and consumer sentimentTwo important macroeconomic reports will be released in the United States today — the March JOLTs on hiring dynamics and the April consumer confidence index from the Conference Board. Job vacancy data is a key indicator of the state of labor demand for the Fed. Despite the uncertainty caused by the tariff policy, stable data on daily job advertisements suggest that demand remains at an acceptable level.The Eurozone: Spanish inflation and business activityOn European platforms, attention will be focused on the publication of inflation data in Spain for April. This release precedes the general report on inflation in the eurozone, which will be released on Friday. The HICP index is expected to slow growth from 2.2% to 2.1% in annual terms.Of additional interest are data on lending and business sentiment in the eurozone for April, which will be able to reflect the first effects of the new US tariffs.China: expectation of a decline in manufacturing activityIn Asia, the PMI indices for April from NBS and private Caixin will be published. According to expectations, both indicators will show a decline, confirming the negative impact of the ongoing trade war. The previously published Emerging Industries PMI dropped sharply from 59.6 to 49.4 points.Sweden: macroeconomic releases and growth prospectsSwedish statistics today are rich in publications. At 08:00 CET, reports on retail sales and consumer lending for March are expected. The GDP indicator for the first quarter will attract special attention, however, due to its volatility, analysts prefer the NIER economic sentiment index, which will be released at 09:00 CET. Its further decline may signal a slowdown in the Swedish economy.Norway: retail sales remain questionableRetail sales statistics for March will be published in Norway. Despite the global instability, it is unlikely to be reflected in these data. Sales growth is forecast to slow to 0.1% month-on-month, although the effect of postponing holidays makes it difficult to assess the real state of consumer activity.Economic and market news: key eventsCanadian Elections: liberal victoryIn the last parliamentary elections in Canada, the Liberal Party under the leadership of Mark Carney retained power. Although the results had not yet provided them with a full majority in parliament at the time of publication, the victory marks the restoration of the party's position after the resignation of Justin Trudeau. Carney relied on his reputation, formed during the crisis of 2008 and the Brexit process.Macroeconomic data from Denmark, Sweden and NorwayIn Denmark, retail sales in March unexpectedly decreased by 0.1% compared to February, mainly due to lower food costs. However, clothing sales increased by 2.7%.In Sweden, the producer price index decreased for the second month in a row (-3.0% mom, -0.3% YoY), which reduces inflation risks and supports the Riksbank's position.In Norway, the unemployment rate rose to 4.4% in March, but the adjusted data remained unchanged at 4.1%. More recent unemployment statistics will be published on Friday.Geopolitics: the Truce in UkraineRussian President Vladimir Putin announced a three-day truce from May 8-10 in honor of the anniversary of the end of World War II, inviting world leaders to events. Ukraine has criticized, insisting on the need for an immediate and full-fledged ceasefire. The White House supported the idea of a truce, but stressed that the goal should be a long-term peace initiative.Stock markets: stabilization and local successesThe trading session in the American markets passed without significant changes, while the European indices showed growth: the Stoxx 600 added 0.5%. Shares of companies in defensive sectors such as real estate, utilities and healthcare rose against the background of lower bond yields. The VIX volatility index has stabilized around 25 points, which may indicate prolonged uncertainty due to tariff policy.Debt and currency markets: declining yields in the United StatesAt the start of the week, US Treasury bonds continued to rise in price: the yield on 2-year securities decreased by 6 basis points, 10-year — by 3 bps, and 30-year— by 2 bps. European yields, on the contrary, rose slightly. The EUR/USD pair remained stable in the range of 1.13–1.14. The victory of the liberals in Canada led to a moderate strengthening of the Canadian dollar, and a further decline in the USD/CAD pair is expected to reach 1.37. The Norwegian krone also showed good results at the end of yesterday's ...
Dollar decline amid concerns about the Fed's independenceIn today's low-volume trading due to the holiday period, the US dollar came under widespread pressure, which was helped by growing concerns about the independence of the Federal Reserve System. Investors are alarmed after statements by White House Economic Adviser Kevin Hassett that President Donald Trump continues to explore the possibility of removing Fed Chairman Jerome Powell. Despite the fact that the legal basis for such actions remains questionable and unclear, the very fact of possible political interference in the process of monetary policy formation has seriously undermined the confidence of market participants.Rising risks amid US trade policyThe escalation of the conflict between the presidential administration and the Federal Reserve is taking place against the background of the already existing uncertainty caused by Washington's aggressive trade policy. New tariff measures and retaliatory duties are exacerbating the situation: Fed officials, including Powell, have repeatedly warned that increased trade barriers could simultaneously accelerate inflation and slow down economic growth, increasing the likelihood of a stagflationary scenario. The threat of interference in the independence of the Federal Reserve increases market instability and significantly increases long-term risks for American assets.Protecting the independence of the FedJerome Powell, in turn, strongly defends the independence of the central bank. Speaking last week, he stressed: "We will never succumb to political pressure... Our independence is enshrined in law." Powell also recalled that members of the Board of Governors can be removed only on serious grounds, and not because of differences in political views. Nevertheless, the escalation of the confrontation with the White House has already cast a shadow on the reputation of key American institutions. The markets did not remain indifferent: investors began to actively withdraw capital from the dollar in favor of alternative assets.Rising demand for Euro and goldAmid falling confidence in US assets, the euro became the main beneficiary of today's trading session. With the dollar declining, investors are looking for reliable and liquid alternatives, and the euro, with its deep financial market, relative political stability, and reputable central bank, has become one of the preferred destinations. The Japanese yen and the Swiss franc are also holding steady, but it was the euro and gold that received the most support, which remain the main safe haven assets in the face of increased ...
NZD/USD analysis on April 9, 2025The Reserve Bank of New Zealand lowered the official interest rate by 25 basis points to 3.50%, which was in line with market expectations. In an accompanying statement, the regulator emphasized that the introduced global trade barriers pose "risks of reducing the prospects for economic activity and inflation" for the country. The central bank stressed that the current inflation rate near the middle of the target range allows for flexible response to changes in the economic environment.The RBNZ has clearly indicated its readiness for further policy easing, indicating that it has "the opportunity for additional rate cuts if necessary." Specific steps will depend on the development of the situation with trade restrictions and their impact on the economy. New easing is especially likely in the event of increased global economic risks or a deterioration in domestic indicators.Technical analysis of NZD/USD for todayThe New Zealand dollar showed a moderate decline against the USD amid a general deterioration in risk appetite, but the central bank's decision did not cause a sharp sell-off. The NZD/USD pair continues to develop a downward trend, formed after a decline from the level of 0.6378.The breakthrough of the key support level of 0.5515 confirms the resumption of the main downtrend. In the near term, the pressure will continue as long as the price remains below the resistance of 0.5644. The next target is 0.5319 (61.8% of the projection from the 0.6378-0.5515 movement).Medium-term prospectsThe level of 0.5467 (2020 minimum) is of particular importance. Its confident breakdown will confirm the continuation of the global downtrend from the 2014 high (0.8835) and open the way to 0.5172 (61.8% of the Fibonacci grid from the 0.7463-0.5511 movement) in the medium term.The current configuration suggests maintaining a cautious approach to the New Zealand ...
The dollar fell against the Canadian dollar and hovered near multi-month lows against European currencies on Tuesday as Treasury bond yields were little moved amid expectations the US Federal Reserve will not raise interest rates in the near future.Dallas Fed President Robert Kaplan reiterated on Monday that he does not expect interest rates to rise until next year, lowering expectations that inflationary pressures could force the Fed to change policy sooner than stated.Read more: Causes of inflation and scientific approaches to their studyThe yield on 10-year US Treasury bonds stood at 1.6454%, continuing a decline from last week's five-week high.The dollar index to a basket of six major currencies was down 0.19% to 89.991 by 09:34. The euro rose 0.25% to $1.2181, close to its lowest level since February 26. At the same time, the pound rose 0.31% to $1.4178. The British currency was supported by the lifting of coronavirus restrictions in the UK.The Canadian dollar rose 0.31% against the US dollar to $1.2029, almost hitting a six-year high, thanks to higher oil prices. "The Aussie rose 0.46% to $0.7799. The New Zealand dollar rose 0.58% to $0.7242.The mainland yuan rose 0.2% to 6.4257. The Japanese yen rose 0.1 per cent paired with the dollar, to 109.08 yen.In the cryptocurrency market, bitcoin rose 3.81% to $45.255 but remained near a three-month low following tweet from Tesla CEO Elon Musk. Etherium rose 7.58% to $3,529.95, recovering from a two-week low hit on Monday.Read more: The history of Federal Reserve (Fed) and its ...
