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The EUR/USD pair has been caught in turbulence amid conflicting fundamental signals, causing the price to move sideways. Market participants still need to unravel this tangle of contradictions to determine the price's direction. Currently, traders are driven by emotions, experiencing a rollercoaster-like ride.
The results of the Federal Reserve's July meeting were not in favor of the greenback. Bulls returned to the 1.1150 resistance level (the Tenkan-sen line on the 1D chart) and tested it. However, when it comes to the overall outcome, it would be more accurate to say otherwise: the market interpreted the results of the July meeting against the US currency, while the Fed's verdict can be viewed from different angles.
The US central bank avoided specifics, especially regarding the future prospects of tightening monetary policy. According to Fed Chair Jerome Powell, everything will depend on what new economic data shows: the September meeting may end with either a rate hike or keeping rates unchanged. Such rhetoric disappointed dollar bulls, as recent inflation reports came out in the "red," reflecting a slowdown in inflation in the US. It is logical to assume that if July's inflation follows the trajectory of June's, the September rate hike will be in question. These conclusions put significant pressure on the greenback – the US dollar index hit a weekly low, declining towards the 100 level.
However, the situation changed drastically. Dollar bulls once again saw a "light at the end of the tunnel" thanks to the latest US GDP report. The data significantly surpassed forecasts. According to preliminary calculations, US GDP increased by 2.4% in the second quarter, with a growth forecast of 1.8%. It is worth mentioning that the first quarter's result was recently revised upwards: the initial estimate showed a 1.3% growth in the US economy, while the final data showed a different result of 2.0%.
The Bureau of Economic Analysis report (US Department of Commerce agency) indicates that this growth was driven by increased consumer spending, government and local government spending, growth in non-residential fixed investment, private investment in equipment, and federal government spending. Consumer spending, which accounts for two-thirds of the economy, increased by 1.6% in the second quarter, while government spending increased by 2.6%.
In addition to the GDP report, dollar bulls were also pleasantly surprised by another indicator. Durable Goods Orders in the US increased 4.7% in June, compared to forecasts of 1.3%. This reading followed the 2.0% increase recorded in May. Orders for durable goods excluding transportation also rose by 0.6% last month. This component of the report also showed a positive outcome, as most experts expected a more modest growth of 0.1%.
As a result, hawkish expectations regarding the Fed's future actions have increased in the market. According to the CME FedWatch Tool, the probability of a 25 basis points rate hike in September is nearly 30%, whereas after the announcement of the July meeting's outcome, this probability fluctuated in the range of 19-20%.
Such an information background contributed to the "revival" of the greenback. The US dollar index fully recovered all lost positions, rising to the middle of the 101 level. Consequently, the EUR/USD pair plummeted and hit two-week price lows.
The European Central Bank also played its role in this. Following the July meeting, the ECB raised interest rates by 25 basis points but did not announce further steps in this direction. Similar to the Fed, the ECB indicated that one additional rate hike from the central bank would now depend on key economic data, primarily inflation. According to ECB President Christine Lagarde, the central bank has "turned off the autopilot" – decisions on interest rates will be made from meeting to meeting and will be based on "inflation forecasts, economic and financial data, and the underlying inflation dynamics." It is worth noting that after the previous meeting, Lagarde had directly announced the rate hike at the July meeting.
The latest US reports, as well as the outcomes of the ECB's July meeting, "redrew" the fundamental picture for the EUR/USD pair. There is one more important piece of the puzzle remaining: the core PCE index, which will be published at the start of the US session on Friday, July 28th. However, for another upward reversal, this indicator must deviate significantly from the forecasted value (naturally, in a downward direction), with experts predicting a declining trend to 4.2% (following the May increase to 4.6%).
From a technical perspective, you can consider short positions on the pair after sellers overcome the support level of 1.0950 (Tenkan-sen line on the weekly chart). In such a case, the next bearish target for EUR/USD would be at 1.0850 – the upper band of the Kumo cloud on the 1D chart.
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