18.10.201813:34 Forex Analysis & Reviews: EUR / USD: US dollar rose, as the Fed representatives expect a further increase in US rates

Yesterday, traders closely followed the minutes of the last meeting of the Federal Reserve System, the publication of which led to the strengthening of the US dollar against a number of currencies, since the main emphasis was placed on the need for further increases in interest rates.

The minutes of the meeting indicated that the managers expected a gradual increase in rates, however, some Fed representatives suggest that the rates will be moderately restrictive for a while. Several executives also spoke out against restrictive policies without obvious signs of overheating of the economy and rising inflation.

As for the economic outlook, the managers noted some acceleration in the growth of labor costs, but were concerned about the moderate increase in salaries. The economy is projected to continue to grow in line with expectations.

The focus was on risks that could seriously affect the prospects for raising interest rates in the near future.

Some executives noted possible risks to financial stability, including a strong dollar that could slow down economic growth and inflation. They also talked about emerging markets, which are now experiencing financial tensions, which creates risks for the US economy.

Fed experts have slightly raised the forecast for GDP growth for 2018.

As for the news on Brexit, then as such the results of the negotiations yet. EU representative Barnier said yesterday that the Brexit negotiations need much more time, and there is a lot of work to be done in the coming weeks.

The technical picture in the EUR / USD currency pair remains on the side of euro sellers. If, in the near future, buyers do not correct the situation and do not consolidate above the resistance level of 1.1510, pressure on risky assets will increase again, and a repeated test of support for 1.1480 will lead to another wave of sales, reaching 1.1460 and 1.1430 lows.

The Australian dollar remained traded in a narrow side channel, only slightly offsetting yesterday's fall against the US dollar after a report from the Australian Bureau of Statistics, which indicated that the country's unemployment rate fell sharply in September.

According to the data, the unemployment rate in Australia in September 2017 fell to 5.0% from 5.3% in August, while economists had expected the figure to remain unchanged. The number of employees increased by 5,600 against the expected growth of 15,000. The share of the economically active population in September was 65.4% against 65.7% in August.

The Japanese Yen fell against the US dollar after data that exports from Japan fell due to the trade war between the US and China. The main decline was noted for Japanese cars and telecommunications equipment.

According to the Ministry of Finance of Japan, exports from Japan in September of this year fell immediately by 1.2% compared with the same period last year, and the trade surplus fell by 79% compared with the same period last year, to 139, 6 billion yen. Economists had expected a deficit of 53 billion yen. Imports to Japan grew by 7% compared with the same period last year.

Amid the introduction of trade duties, the surplus of Japan's foreign trade with the United States in September fell by 4% compared with September 2017, to 590 billion yen.