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Technical analysis of EUR/USD for Nov 21, 2017

There is no Economic Data will be released when the European market opens, but the US will release the Economic Data, such as Existing Home Sales, so, amid the reports, EUR/USD will move in a low to medium volatility during this day.

TODAY'S TECHNICAL LEVEL:
Breakout BUY Level: 1.1801.
Strong Resistance:1.1794.
Original Resistance: 1.1782.
Inner Sell Area: 1.1770.
Target Inner Area: 1.1742.
Inner Buy Area: 1.1715.
Original Support: 1.1703.
Strong Support: 1.1691.
Breakout SELL Level: 1.1684.

Disclaimer: Trading Forex (foreign exchange) on margin carries a high level of risk, and may not be suitable for all investors. The high degree of leverage can work against you as well as for you. Before deciding to invest in foreign exchange you should carefully consider your investment objectives, level of experience, and risk appetite. The possibility exists that you could sustain a loss of some or all of your initial investment and therefore you should not invest money that you cannot afford to lose. You should be aware of all the risks associated with foreign exchange trading, and seek advice from an independent financial advisor if you have any doubts.

*The market analysis posted here is meant to increase your awareness, but not to give instructions to make a trade.

Analysis are provided by InstaForex

The preparation for Brexit allocated 3 billion pounds

The EURUSD pair spent the first half of Wednesday in a narrow lateral channel, while traders were preparing for the release of the Federal Reserve's minutes.

Data on the US economy hurt the upward momentum of the US dollar.

According to the report, the number of Americans who applied for unemployment benefits for the first time has declined. This indicates a recovery of the labor market after the autumn hurricanes.

According to the US Department of Labor, the number of initial claims for unemployment benefits for the week from 12 to 18 of November fell by 13,000 and amounted to 239,000. Economists had expected the number of new applications last week to be 240,000.

A good report on the labor market was offset by weak data on orders for durable goods in the US, which fell in October, much worse than economists predicted.

Such data indicates that Americans are making less expensive purchases, which will negatively affect US manufacturers.

According to the US Department of Commerce, orders for durable goods in October 2017 decreased by 1.2% compared to the previous month, amounting to 236 billion US dollars. In September, orders rose by 2.2%. Economists predicted an increase in orders by 0.2%.

As for the technical picture of the EUR/USD pair, only a breakout of the 1.1755-60 range would lead to a larger upward wave in the trading instrument with an update of 1.1800 and a monthly peak output in the area of 1.1860. If the Fed's report contains something interesting about the prospect of tightening monetary policy in December of this year, the demand for the US dollar may rise, which will lead to a return towards the region of large levels of support at 1.1680 and 1.1640.

The British pound strengthened its position against the US dollar following the speech of the Ministry of Finance in the UK. Hammond said that the ministry is preparing for any possible outcome of Brexit, and that the preparation allocated 3 billion pounds.

Furthermore, the economic forecast was lowered, according to which the GDP of the UK for 2017 will grow by only 1.5%, and not by 2%, as predicted earlier. Forecast GDP growth of 1.4% in 2018 and 1.3% in 2019. As Hammond noted, lowering growth forecasts is due to weak labor productivity.

*The market analysis posted here is meant to increase your awareness, but not to give instructions to make a trade.

Analysis are provided by InstaForex

AUD/USD testing major resistance, time to start selling

The price is testing major resistance at 0.7629 (Fibonacci retracement, horizontal overlap resistance, channel resistance, Fibonacci extension) and we expect to see a strong drop from this level to push the price down to at least 0.7537 support (Fibonacci extension, horizontal swing low support).

Stochastic (55,3,1) is seeing strong resistance at 96% where we expect a corresponding reaction off. Correlation analysis: NZDUSD is similarly expecting a strong drop.

Sell below 0.7629. Stop loss isat 0.7670. Take profit is at 0.7537

*The market analysis posted here is meant to increase your awareness, but not to give instructions to make a trade.

Analysis are provided by InstaForex

Stress tests and forecast for world economic growth

The euro continued to decline against the US dollar on Tuesday, November 28, despite good data on lending to private eurozone companies.

According to the report, lending in October rose, indicating the recovery of the eurozone economy.

According to the European Central Bank, lending to private sector non-financial companies in October this year had increased by 2.9% compared to the same period last year. Household lending increased by 2.7% compared to the same period of the previous year. The monetary aggregate M3 in October this year increased by 5%.

Data on the optimism of German consumers slightly supported the euro during the afternoon. According to the report of the German institute GfK, the leading index of consumer sentiment remained unchanged in December compared to November and amounted to 10.7 points. Economists had expected that the index would rise to 10.8 points in December. As stated in the report, the sentiments of German households remain at a high level, as well as expectations about the future.

On Tuesday, the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development released a report, which raised forecasts for the growth of the world economy for the next year. This happened due to a good rate of growth in the US and the euro area.

According to the data, for this year, forecasts have been raised to 2.2% for the US economy and 2.4% for the euro area economy. In 2018, it is expected that the US economy will grow by 2.5%, and the eurozone - by 2.1%. Without any changes, forecasts for the growth of China's economy remained unchanged, but the data for Canada was revised downwards.

The OECD expects the world economy to grow by 3.6% this year, while in September it was forecasting an increase of 3.5%. In 2018, world growth should be at the level of 3.7%.

The British pound declined after the release of stress tests from the Bank of England.

Stress tests of the Bank of England were conducted at Barclays, HSBC, Lloyds Banking Group, Standard Chartered. It must be noted that back in 2016, Barclays and RBS failed stress tests, but then increased their capital.

The report shows that the Bank of England decided to raise the requirements for the capital buffer to 1% by the end of 2018 from 0.5% at present. This is done primarily in order to protect the banks of the UK from the adverse effects on the part of Brexit. The Bank of England also said that the current scenario of stress tests implies risks that may be associated with Brexit, and therefore the British banking system will continue to support the economy in the event of an unorganized Brexit.

*The market analysis posted here is meant to increase your awareness, but not to give instructions to make a trade.

Analysis are provided by InstaForex

The dollar weakens against the backdrop of political threats

Adjusted data on US GDP in the third quarter were better than expected, the growth rate was revised to 3.3%, and by all means, the US economy is recovering successfully. This is despite the fact that the Congress has not yet approved the draft of the tax reform.

However, the main factor of positive growth is not so much the growth of the economy as the growing consumer activity. According to the updated data, in the third quarter, the personal consumption expenditure index was 1.4%, and not 1.3%, as previously reported. This was released the day after the data on personal incomes in October also outperformed forecasts, with growth at 0.4% against expectations of 0.3%.

The market reacted positively to the reports, while the data on business activity in the manufacturing sector released by ISM on Friday made it possible to revise the forecast for US GDP in the fourth quarter to reach 3.5%, reflecting generally confidently positive expectations.

At the same time, it should be noted that the positive dynamics of consumer activity is not due to fundamental changes. The simplest calculations show that the growth of expenses is not based on revenue growth, but on the growth of lending, which in turn reflects certain hopes associated with the future tax reform. The growth of expenses in terms of the potentially able-bodied population is growing steadily, while personal savings are falling and have already reached the pre-crisis level of 10 years ago.

Thus, a certain revival of the consumer sector is associated with hopes for a reduction in tax pressure. If, however, the approval of the reform program in the Congress faces difficulties, then in this case one can expect a sharp decline in consumer activity and an increase in deflationary expectations.

The grounds for such fears are: On Friday, the Senate postponed the vote on the tax reform, the stumbling block was the report of the Tax Committee, from which it follows that the reform will not lead to filling the budget and the deficit will remain at the level of at least $1 trillion in a 10-year perspective. The economic analysis of the tax reform plan by the Minister of Finance Mnuchin has not yet been released. Therefore, the financial effect of the reforms may not be the same as the government represents. Before the markets closed on Friday, the final vote in the Congress did not take place, which ultimately contributed to the depreciation of the dollar.

Another reason for the fall of the dollar is that former adviser to Donald Trump, Michael Flynn, who was accused earlier of providing false information to the FBI, is prepared to testify against Donald Trump. If this news is confirmed, the opponents of Trump will have good reasons for initiating the impeachment procedure, which will automatically put an end to the tax reform program.

This scenario can lead to a rapid reduction in inflation expectations and will call into question the possibility of the Fed to implement the outlined plan for the growth rate in 2018, and the dollar will drop sharply against the yen and the euro. Fears remain hypothetical, but the dollar is losing momentum.

On Monday, the dynamics of the dollar will be determined. First of all, by political news related to the passage of the tax plan through the Congress and the development of the situation with Flynn. Acceptance of the tax plan is of fundamental importance in the light of approaching the date of December 8. Namely, before this date, the law on financing state institutions due to borrowing is in force.

On Tuesday, the ISM report on business activity in the services sector will be published, after a rapid growth in August-October, a slight slowdown is expected, but the level of PMI will remain high and can support the dollar.

In general, the dollar remains the favorite, and any positive news can contribute to a new wave of buying. However, one must assume that the probability of a smooth phased solution of all the issues at the beginning of this week is not very high, and therefore the growth of the euro to 1.20 appears quite certain.

*The market analysis posted here is meant to increase your awareness, but not to give instructions to make a trade.

Analysis are provided by InstaForex

Fundamental Analysis of AUD/USD for December 6, 2017

AUD/USD has been quite corrective recently after a strong bearish pressure pushing the price off the 0.8150 price area. AUD had been quite mixed with the economic reports where negatives are more in quantity than positive reports for which the currency is currently struggling to gain over USD despite the current weak status of USD. Recently AUD Current Account report was published with negative figure of -9.1B from the previous figure of -9.7B though it is less than the previous figure but could not meet the expectation of much less deficit at -8.8B, Retail Sales report was published with an increase to 0.5% from the previous value of 0.1% which was expected to be at 0.3% and in the Rate Statement the Cash Rate of Australia was unchanged as expected at 1.50% which did not quite helped with the gains of AUD but was able to stop the impulsive bearish pressure in the pair. Today, AUD GDP report was published with a worse value of 0.6% decrease from the previous value of 0.9% which was expected to be at 0.7%. The worse economic report did affect the currency quite well which lead to impulsive bearish pressure today. On the USD side today, ADP Non-Farm Employment Change report is going to be published which is expected to decrease to 189k from the previous figure of 235k, Revised Non-Farm Productivity is expected to increase to 3.3% from the previous value of 3.0%, Revised Unit Labor Cost is expected to decrease to 0.2% from the previous value of 0.5% and Crude Oil Inventories is expected to show less deficit at -3.2M from the previous figure of -3.4M. The forecasts are quite mixed in nature where any better than expected economic report is expected to add to the gains of USD against AUD in the coming days. To sum up, AUD has been quite weak in comparison as it could not dominate USD in its weakest period which is expected to lead to further USD gains in the coming days if USD publishes better economic report results in the future.

Now let us look at the technical view, the price is being held by the dynamic level of 20 EMA and it has worked very well as a resistance to keep the price lower. As the price is currently quite near to the support area of 0.7500-50 the bears are expected to push the price towards the support level in the coming days and any bounce or breaks off the area will lead to further directional movement in this pair. As the price remains below the dynamic level of 20 EMA and 0.7650 price area the bearish bias is expected to continue further.


Analysis are provided by InstaForex

Euro and pound will be determined with direction

Eurozone
The euro area economy continues to expand at a steady pace, GDP growth in Q3 was 0.6%, at an annual rate of 2.6%, preliminary data was revised upwards, which is consistent with the overall economic trend.

Growth is primarily due to increased investment and exports. Despite the fact that household expenditures have decreased somewhat, the general level of optimism continues to improve, as indicated by the recent reports of ZEW and IFO.

On Wednesday, a report on industrial production will be released, on Thursday - PMI Markit index. This will be the latest data ahead of the ECB meeting, they will help to predict the overall tone of the commentary and the position of Mario Draghi at a subsequent press conference.

On Thursday, investors do not expect the ECB to decide to make any concrete steps, since there is no reason for this yet. However, forecasts for economic growth and inflation will be updated upwards, as indicated by both growing business activity in recent months and rising oil prices.

The euro as a reaction to the meeting of the FOMC may decline to a support level of 1.1670, growth is limited to the level of 1.1880.

United Kingdom

The pound on the eve of the meeting of the Bank of England on December 14 is seent to be positive. According to Halifax, housing prices have stabilized after more than a year of decline and activity in the construction sector decreased. The inflation forecast published by the Bank of England rose from 2.8% to 2.9%, the trade deficit instead of expanding has unexpectedly remained virtually unchanged. Sufficiently, the industry appears much better, which was clearly facilitated by the protracted period of the weak pound, which supported the export industries.

The industrial sector is growing for the sixth month in a row, on an annualized basis, growth was 3.9%, which is higher than expected

The National Institute for Economic and Social Research (NIESR) reports that, according to their calculations, UK GDP growth for the last 3 months was 0.5%, which exceeds both the indicators of the beginning of the year and 0.4% in the third quarter.

These factors increase the likelihood that the Bank of England will continue to gradually raise rates, and will also contribute to the growth of the pound. Although at the next meeting, the Bank of England will not raise the bid, the general trend is in favor of an increase, which is clearly a bullish factor for the pound.

On Friday, there was news that the UK and the EU agreed on three key points in the first phase of the Brexit talks. The border between Ireland and Northern Ireland was agreed upon, migration policies concerning the rights of EU citizens in the UK, and, most importantly, London's payment for the withdrawal from the EU. Thus, the first phase of negotiations is completed, and at the EU meeting on December 14, it will be possible to announce the progress achieved. This news will strengthen the positions of both the euro and pound.

The pound, nevertheless, will still be under pressure, since there are no serious internal drivers in the coming week. Presumably, a decline towards 1.3250 as an intermediate target and 1.2850 as a long-term goal.

Oil
China, which is the world's major oil consumer, supported the growing trend on Friday, posting significantly higher than expected trade balance data in November. Crude oil imports increased by 19.37% in November, demand remains firmly high, which, combined with a number of restrictive measures by OPEC + and significant financial losses of shale companies in the US, contribute to the formation of a stable demand against the backdrop of stable production in the context of the price war with OPEC. Together, these factors support oil, which allows us to predict a breakthrough of resistance at 63.50 for Brent in the short term.

*The market analysis posted here is meant to increase your awareness, but not to give instructions to make a trade.

Analysis are provided by InstaForex

BTC/USD reacting off our selling entry perfectly, remain bearish

Bitcoin has reached our selling area and is reacting off it nicely. We remain bearish looking to sell below 17459 resistance (Fibonacci extension, bearish price action, bearish divergence) for a drop towards at least 14739 support (Fibonacci retracement, horizontal overlap support).

Stochastic (34,5,3) is seeing major resistance below 98% and also displays bearish divergence vs price, signaling that a reversal is impending.

Reason for the trading strategy (fundamentally):

Bitcoin January futures (which are contracts that let investors buy or sell something at a specific price in the future) price are about $17,800 which is rather close to where we forecast major resistance. This is in line with the immediate resistance we're seeing on the technical side so it would be safe to start looking to short Bitcoin for a correction.

Sell below 17459. Stop loss is at 18770. Take profit is at 14739.

*The market analysis posted here is meant to increase your awareness, but not to give instructions to make a trade.

Analysis are provided by InstaForex

ECB leaves rates and economic forecast unchanged

The euro met with minimal hesitation at the key decision of the European Central Bank this week.

According to the data, the European Central Bank left the refinancing rate unchanged at 0.0%, while stating that interest rates will remain at current levels for a long time after the end of the asset purchase program.

Many experts expected that the ECB would make hints on the gradual tightening of monetary policy by the time of the completion of the curtailment of the asset repurchase program, which is scheduled for the end of next year. However, as we can see, this is not included in the plans of the ECB and there are a number of objective reasons for this. At the very least, this is the missing price pressure, which is kept quite low for quite a long time even after good economic growth in the second and third quarters of this year. The labor market in the euro area also shows growth but the rate of increase in wages is far from ideal.

The ECB also revealed that they will reinvest funds received from the redemption of bonds for a long period after the completion of the curtailment of the asset purchase program.

In the morning, preliminary data on the PMI supply managers' index for France's manufacturing sector for December came out. It rose significantly to 59.3 points versus 57.7 points in November. Economists had expected PMI for the manufacturing sector to be at 57.1 points.

A similar preliminary index of supply managers PMI for Germany's manufacturing sector for the month of December this year rose to 63.3 points against 62.5 points in November. Economists expected the index to fall to 62.1 points.

As for the euro area as a whole, the preliminary composite index of supply managers for the euro zone's PMI in December this year increased to 58.0 points with a forecast at 57.3 points, which is slightly lower than the November figure of 57.5 points. In the second half of the day, data on the US labor market came out.

According to a report by the US Department of Labor, the number of Americans who applied for unemployment benefits last week declined. Thus, the number of initial applications for unemployment benefits for the week of December 3 to 9 decreased by 11,000 and amounted to 225,000. Economists predicted that the number of applications would be at 235,000.

*The market analysis posted here is meant to increase your awareness, but not to give instructions to make a trade.

Analysis are provided by InstaForex

Elliott wave analysis of EUR/JPY for December 19, 2017

Wave summary:
EUR/JPY is back testing the broken minor support-line, which now acts as resistance. This former support, now resistance, is expected to cap the upside for more downside pressure towards the pivot point at 131.14, which needs to be broken to confirm that wave (D) completed at 134.50 and wave (E) now is developing towards the ideal target seen at 123.43.

Short-term a break below minor support at 132.10 confirms more downside pressure towards 131.14.

R3: 133.89
R2: 133.76
R1: 133.00
Pivot: 132.10
S1: 131.70
S2: 131.14
S3: 130.56

Trading recommendation:
We are short EUR from 133.40 with stop placed at 133.80.

*The market analysis posted here is meant to increase your awareness, but not to give instructions to make a trade.

Analysis are provided by InstaForex

Elliott wave analysis of EUR/JPY for December 21, 2017

Wave summary:
The break above resistance at 134.50 told us that wave (D) still is developing and more upside towards the "old" 137.37 target should be expected to complete wave (D) and set the stage for the final decline within the huge triangle consolidation, that has been developing since July 2008. Support is now seen at 134.40 and again at 133.84. The later should be able to protect the downside for more upside closer to 137.37.

R3: 136.05
R2: 135.75
R1: 134.90
Pivot: 134.40
S1: 133.84
S2: 133.57
S3: 133.24

Trading recommendation:
We will buy EUR at 134.10 and place our stop at 133.40.

*The market analysis posted here is meant to increase your awareness, but not to give instructions to make a trade.

Analysis are provided by InstaForex

Inflation continues to grow in Japan

Weekends and holidays are always accompanied by a low volume of trades against the background of lack of important fundamental statistics.

Most likely, serious and purposeful movements will not be formed in the pairs EUR/USD and GBP/USD before the end of this year.

Some leading experts expect that the growth of the US economy next year will significantly accelerate due to the approved program of tax cuts, and also due to an increase in government spending. Do not forget that at the end of last week, US President Donald Trump signed a new tax bill with a total cost of $ 1.5 trillion, which the budget will not be counted on.

According to economists of Goldman Sachs, the measures taken by the White House administration will lead to a larger GDP growth in 2018. According to the data, the US GDP in 2018 will grow by 2.6%, and 1.7% in 2019. These data were revised upwards by 0.3% and 0.2%.

Economists of J.P. Morgan also expects more significant growth in consumer spending, which will stimulate the economy of the country, adding to the previous forecast of 0.2%. In J.P. Morgan forecasts, the US GDP growth of 2.1% next year.

As for the technical picture of the EUR/USD pair, it did not change significantly compared to the forecast at the end of last week. Only a confident exit to the resistance level 1.1880 will lead to the formation of a new upward wave, with an update of the monthly highs of 1.1900 and 1.1935.

The data on consumer price growth in Japan did not lead to significant changes in the USD/JPY pair, even despite the increase in the index which is a positive sign for the Bank of Japan.

According to the report of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications of Japan, the base consumer price index in November rose by 0.9% compared to the same period of the previous year after an increase of 0.8% in October. While economists expected the index to grow by 0.8%.

The general consumer price index rose by 0.6% in November after rising to 0.2% in October this year. Economists predicted an increase of 0.5%.

Despite the lack of strong impetus, prices continue to grow for 11 consecutive months, which makes the Bank of Japan feel more relaxed.

The index, excluding the prices of fresh food and energy, rose by 0.3% compared with the same period in 2016 after an increase of 0.2% in October.

Today, the unemployment rate in Japan in November 2017 fell to 2.7% from 2.8% in October, as the number of jobs increased. As indicated in the report, there were 100 applicants in November who had 156 jobs compared to 155 in October.

* The presented market analysis is informative and does not constitute a guide to the transaction.

*The market analysis posted here is meant to increase your awareness, but not to give instructions to make a trade.

Analysis are provided by InstaForex

Wave analysis of the EUR / USD currency pair for December 28, 2017

Analysis of wave counting:
In a thin inter-holiday market, the EUR/USD pair was able to add about 60 pp in price and re-tested to the level of the 19th figure in the second half of yesterday. It can be assumed that the currency pair has reached the final stage of the formation of the wave c, in b, in c, in a, in (C). If this is the case, the pair can resume reduction quotes and mark the beginning of a future wave in a, and in (C) after virtually reaching the highest level achieved yesterday or after the growth to the level 1.1920-1.1930.

Objectives for building a downward wave:
1.1736 - 38.2% by Fibonacci
1.1666 - 23.6% Fibonacci retracement
Goals for building an upward wave:
1.1900
1.1918 - 11.4% Fibonacci retracement

General conclusions and trading recommendations:
The construction of the downward trend section continues, as well as the construction of the assumed wave b, in c, in a, in (C). If this assumption is correct, the quote will resume its increase with targets around 19 figures and the mark of 1.1918. Hereinafter, a decline in quotations may resume with the targets located near the calculated marks of 1.1736 and 1.1666, corresponding to 38.2% and 23.6% Fibonacci, and lower.

*The market analysis posted here is meant to increase your awareness, but not to give instructions to make a trade.

Analysis are provided by InstaForex

Traders are waiting for the Fed's Minutes

Data on the good condition of the German labor market slightly supported the European currency, which began to gradually lose its positions paired with the US dollar after the pre-New Year rally that was observed in the entirety of the previous week.

According to the report of the Federal Ministry of Labor of Germany, the number of applications for unemployment benefits in Germany in December 2017 decreased by 29,000, while economists had expected a decrease in the number of applications by only 10,000.

Data for November were revised. The final report indicates a decrease in the number of applications for 20,000, not 18,000, which was previously announced. The unemployment rate in December was 5.5%.

While the market is just beginning to "swing" after the New Year holidays, all investors' attention today will be directed to the publication of the Fed's minutes from the meeting that took place last year on December 12 and 13. It should be noted that it decided to raise federal funds rates by a quarter of a percentage point to the range of 1.25% -1.50%.

In the minutes, it will be more significant to expect further interest rate increases early in 2018. Analysts predict at least three of such increases. The timing of the next rate increase will also be important. If it is the 1st quarter of this year, it is possible that the demand for the US dollar may return, as there are no plans to change the policy of the European Central Bank until spring.

Retail sales, according to The Retail Economist and Goldman Sachs, fell after the Christmas week. According to the report, for the week from December 24 to December 30, the sales index in US retailers fell by 2.3% compared to last week. In comparison with the same period in 2016, the sales index in US retail chains grew by 3.9%.

As for the technical picture, the attempt of the bulls in the morning to reach on an important level of resistance in the area of 1.2070 was unsuccessful. As a result, the scenario began to develop in line with a bearish forecast. Now you can expect the support in the area of 1.2000 and 1.1955. Talk about the resumption of the upward trend in the euro will be possible after consolidation above 1.2055.

The British pound, though not immediately, but began to decline gradually against the US dollar after a weak report in the construction sector of the UK.

According to the statistics agency,, the index of supply managers for the construction sector of the UK in December 2018 fell to the level of 52.2 points from 53.1 points in November. It should be noted that the value above 50 points indicates the retention of activity, despite the decline in the index.

*The market analysis posted here is meant to increase your awareness, but not to give instructions to make a trade.

Analysis are provided by InstaForex

NZD/USD approaching major resistance, prepare to sell

The price is testing major resistance at 0.7188 (Fibonacci retracement, horizontal overlap resistance, bearish divergence) and a strong reaction could occur at this level to push the price down to at least 0.7041 support (Fibonacci retracement, horizontal pullback support). However, we are also in a bullish ascending channel and only a break of this channel would confirm further downside move.

Stochastic (34,5,3) is seeing major resistance at 94% and also displays bearish divergence vs price signaling that a reversal is impending.

Sell below 0.7188. Stop loss is at 0.7280. Take profit is at 0.7041.

Analysis are provided by InstaForex

Elliott wave analysis of EUR/NZD for January 9, 2018

Wave summary:
EUR/NZD has declined nice and is now close to the first support near 1.6571. This support is expected to protect the downside for at least a corrective rally closer to 1.6800 and maybe even turn prices higher trough important resistance at 1.7025 for the next impulsive rally towards 1.7777.

R3: 1,6890
R2: 1.6800
R1: 1.6701
Pivot: 1.6630
S1: 1.6571
S2: 1.6447
S3: 1.6298

Trading recommendation:
We are short EUR from 1.6795. We will book half profit here at 1.6675 for a nice profit of 120 pips and we will move our stop lower from 1.7085 to 1.6835 on the rest of the position.

Analysis are provided by InstaForex

Protocols of the ECB helped the euro

The euro did not receive serious support from investors after the release of good data on industrial production in the euro area. However, the publication of the minutes from the December meeting of the European Central Bank forced traders to change their view of risky assets.

In the first half of the day, it became known that Germany's economy in 2017 grew at a slower pace than expected. According to the report of the Federal Bureau of Statistics of Germany, Germany's gross domestic product grew by 2.2% last year. Despite this, economists expected a more serious growth rate in the region of 2.3%. The surplus of the country's budget in 2017 amounted to 1.2% of GDP.

Given the economic indicators demonstrated by Germany in 2017, it is not surprising that this country is the basis of the eurozone and the European Union as a whole. However, given the difficulties now faced by German Chancellor Angela Merkel in her post, it can be assumed that it is political problems that indirectly affect the main financial indicators in early 2018.

As I noted above, the industrial production of the eurozone completes the year with an excellent upward trend. According to the report of the EU statistical agency Eurostat, industrial production in November 2017 increased by 1.0% compared to the previous month and by 3.2% compared to the same period of the previous year. Economists predicted that growth will be at 0.6% compared to the previous month and 2.9% compared to the same period of the previous year.

The publication of the minutes of the meeting of the European Central Bank provided substantial support to the euro, as many investors found in them a hint of a possible curtailment of the asset repurchase program by the Central Bank this fall.

The minutes indicate that the ECB can change its attitude to the credit policy in case the state of the economy continues to improve in 2018. The leaders also agreed that the policy should change gradually so as not to affect the recovery of the euro area economy.

Weak data on the US labor market exerted even more pressure on the US dollar. According to the report of the US Department of Labor, the number of initial applications for unemployment benefits for the week of December 31 to January 6 increased by 11,000 and amounted to 261,000. Economists had expected the number of applications to be 245,000.

Analysis are provided by InstaForex

Elliott wave analysis of EUR/JPY for January 16, 2018

Wave summary:
We continue to regard the rally from 133.01 as corrective and is looking for a break below minor support at 135.36 and more importantly a break below support at 135.00 as confirmation that this correction has completed and a new decline 131.11 is developing.

At no point should a break above 136.64 be seen under this count.
R3: 137.37
R2: 136.64
R1: 136.32
Pivot: 135.36
S1: 135.00
S2: 134.80
S3: 134.35

Trading recommendation:
We are short EUR from 134.75 with our stop placed at 136.75. Upon a break below 135.00 we will lower our stop to 136.15.

Analysis are provided by InstaForex

Four drivers of gold growth

Precious metals became the main beneficiary of the weakness of the US dollar. The impressive growth of the world economy allowed palladium to hit record highs near $1,140 per ounce. From the beginning of the year, platinum added almost 8% and is one of the leaders of the commodity market. Gold managed to break through to the September peaks, and it appears that the bulls are determined to continue the rally. However, the EUR/USD movement stalled near the 1.23 mark against the backdrop of the ECB's "dovish" rhetoric, so it's too early to talk about the final defeat of the dollar.

Dynamics of precious metals and gold

Source: Financial Times.

The fact that the "greenback" is not at ease and does not react to the growing likelihood of the US GDP being dispersed under the influence of tax reform, or to strong macroeconomic data for the United States, is of paramount importance for the XAU/USD. However, it would be wrong to only talk about a single driver of growth.

The rapid rally in Brent and WTI increases the risks of accelerating consumer prices in the US and other countries. At the same time, central banks, including the Fed, prefer a slow normalization of monetary policy. These circumstances pose serious obstacles to the real yield of treasury bonds, which is a "bullish" factor for gold.

Let's not forget about political and geopolitical risks. On January 19, the US government could be temporarily shut down. More than four years ago, this resulted in a serious slowdown in the US GDP. Yes, the Republicans prepared a draft of its interim financing until February 16, but it looks raw and leads to an emergence of new enemies, which creates problems in the Senate voting. In Germany, negotiations between the bloc of Angela Merkel and the Social Democrats are unlikely to be as easy as initially intended. The Berlin wing of the SPD protested against the coalition, and until the party's congress on January 21-22, uncertainty will loom in the markets. Once again, US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson reiterated the threat of North Korea and urged China and Russia to implement sanctions more actively.

Thus, a weak dollar, growing risks of accelerating inflation and a fall in the real yield of US Treasury bonds, political uncertainty in the United States and Germany, as well as the possibility of an escalation of the conflict over North Korea lay a powerful foundation for the continuation of the XAU/USD rally. Positions of "bears" look hopeless, however history shows that the trends often unfolded at a time when the crowd firmly believed in their continuation.

In my opinion, the "bulls" for EUR/USD brought the pair too far. Its long-term prospects appears positive, but it is not yet time to win back the factor of normalization of the monetary policy of the ECB, and the presence of political risks in Germany and Italy raises doubts about the validity of current levels. If the euro goes into a correction, the growth of the USD index will help lower the price of gold.

Technically, reaching a target of 88.6% for the "Shark" pattern enhances the risks of pullback in the direction of 23.6%, 38.2% and 50% of the CD wave. Gold, daily chart

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The trading plan for the US session is EUR/USD and GBP/USD

EUR/USD
To open long positions for EURUSD, it is required:
Buyers are trying to get ahold of the level of 1.2252, and while the trade is higher, a chance remains for continued growth of the euro with an update of 1.2294 and the main purpose of a test at 1.2342, where I recommend locking in profits. In the event of a decline below the level of 1.2252 in the afternoon, consider new purchases of the euro after a test at the level of 1.2215, or immediately towards a rebound from 1.2169.
To open short positions for EURUSD, it is required:
A return to the level of 1.2252 would be a good signal to increase short positions on the euro for the purpose of a breakdown and consolidation below the support of 1.2215, which opens a direct road to the area of 1.2169, where I recommend locking in profits. In case the euro further grows, it is possible to look for short positions after the formation of a false breakout at 1.2294 or on a rebound from 1.2342.

GBP/USD
To open long positions for GBP/USD, it is required: Buyers are trying to work out a scenario in the morning in order to consolidate above 1.3886, and while the trade is at this level, you can count on continuing an upward trend with an exit towards a resistance of 1.3940. The main target remains in the area of 1.4018. In the event of a return below the level of 1.3886, I recommend that you pay attention to long positions on the pound only after a test at 1.3839.
To open short positions for GBP/USD, it is required:
The return at 1.3886 will signal an opening of short positions for the pound, which will lead to the renewal of daily lows in the area of 1.3839 and will likely reach a new support level of 1.3797, where I recommend locking in the profit. In case of continued growth in the pound during the afternoon, short positions can be considered for a rebound from 1.3940.

Indicator description
Moving Average (average sliding) 50 days - yellow
Moving Average (average sliding) 30 days - green
MACD: fast EMA 12, slow EMA 26, SMA Bollinger Bands 20

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NZD/USD right on major support, time to go long

The price is testing major support at 0.7312 (Fibonacci retracement, horizontal overlap support, long-term ascending support, bullish price action) and a bounce could occur at this level to push the price up to at least 0.7436 resistance (major swing high resistance, Fibonacci extension). RSI (55) sees a long-term ascending support line since November 2017 hold up our bullish momentum really well. We're starting to see a possible break of this long-term support line but our major support remains at 51% and only a clean break of that level would be a precursor that a drop is coming. Buy above 0.7312. Stop loss at 0.7256. Take profit at 0.7436.

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Gold forming a cup and handle reversal, prepare for a strong drop!

Gold has formed a really strong reversal of a cup and handle formation. We look to sell below major resistance at 1344 (Fibonacci retracement, horizontal overlap resistance, cup and handle breakout level) where a strong drop is expected to push the price down to at least 1325 support (Fibonacci retracement, horizontal overlap support, Fibonacci extension).

Stochastic (34,5,3) is seeing descending resistance hold it down really well which corresponds to the drop we're expecting.

Sell below 1344. Stop loss at 1353. Take profit at 1325.

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The buyers of the euro are ready

Despite weak performance in the manufacturing sector, the European currency continues to make attempts to grow against the US dollar. It is maintaining an upward price channel.

It was only in Italy where there was an increase in the index of production while in France and Germany, the similar index slowed slightly.

According to the report of the statics agency, the index of supply managers for the manufacturing sector in Italy for the month of January this year rose to 59.0 points, compared to 57.4 points in December last year. Economists predicted the index at the level of 57.3 points.

In France, there is a marked decrease in activity in the manufacturing sector. According to the report, the index of supply managers for the manufacturing sector in January fell to 58.4 points against the December index of 58.8 points. Economists and market participants did expect a decline to the level of 58.1 points.

In Germany, the index of supply managers also slowed its growth. According to the data, PMI for Germany's manufacturing sector in January fell to 61.1 points against 63.3 points in December 2017. Economists had expected the index to fall to the level of 61.2 points.

If we talk about the euro area as a whole, then there is also a slight decline. According to the statistics agency, the index of supply managers PMI for the production area of the eurozone in January dropped to 59.6 points, compared to 60.6 points in December. The data fully coincided with the forecasts of economists.

It is important to note that finding the index above the level of 50 points indicates an increase in activity.

The current data that's at a rather slight decline in indicators at the beginning of this year will not likely affect the data on GDP seriously in the first quarter of 2018, which is confirmed by the market reaction to the data.

As for the technical picture of the EURUSD pair, so far the situation is developing in favor of buyers as it managed to keep the trade in an upward price channel. The lower limit of this level is at the January 30 low. The breakthrough of resistance at the level of 1.2470 opens up good prospects for the EURUSD pair for further growth of the trading instrument in the area of annual maximums at 1.2540.

A similar index that's already in the UK, also did not put pressure on the British pound, even despite its slowdown to a 6-month low.

According to a report by research company IHS Markit Ltd., the index of supply managers for the UK manufacturing sector in January was 55.3 points compared to 56.2 points in December. The value of the index above 50 indicates an increase in activity. Economists had expected the index to be 56.5 points.

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Technical analysis of EUR/USD for Feb 06, 2018

When the European market opens, some Economic Data will be released such as Retail PMI, French Gov Budget Balance, and German Factory Orders m/m. The US will release the Economic Data too, such as IBD/TIPP Economic Optimism, JOLTS Job Openings, and Trade Balance, so, amid the reports, EUR/USD will move in a low to medium volatility during this day.

TODAY'S TECHNICAL LEVEL:
Breakout BUY Level: 1.2444.
Strong Resistance:1.2437.
Original Resistance: 1.2425.
Inner Sell Area: 1.2413.
Target Inner Area: 1.2384.
Inner Buy Area: 1.2355.
Original Support: 1.2343.
Strong Support: 1.2331.
Breakout SELL Level: 1.2324.

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