EUR/USD Gains Momentum on ECB's Hawkish Stance and USD WeaknessFrom a technical perspective, the EUR/USD is currently trading within a bullish channel, and in the last hour, the price has been attempting to establish a new swing high. There is an identifiable ABCD pattern, with the D point serving as our target. The D leg corresponds to the 1.217% Fibonacci extension, located at the 1.0800 level. We are observing a potential setup for a bullish move.
On the fundamental side, the Euro received a slight boost after Christine Lagarde, the President of the European Central Bank (ECB), hinted at the likelihood of further interest rate increases. This statement was prompted by the absence of clear evidence indicating that underlying inflation has reached its peak. Lagarde's remarks, coupled with recent hawkish comments from various ECB officials, have reinforced market expectations that the central bank will continue raising rates despite a decrease in inflationary pressures. It is important to note that Eurozone Consumer Price Index (CPI) figures for May showed a greater deceleration than anticipated, with a year-on-year rate of 6.1% compared to the previous 7.0%. Additionally, Core CPI declined from 5.6% to 5.3% last month. Moreover, the emergence of USD selling has contributed to a moderate intraday rebound of approximately 50 pips for the EUR/USD pair.
In fact, the US Dollar Index (DXY), which tracks the performance of the Greenback against a basket of currencies, lost momentum and relinquished its modest intraday gains following the disappointing release of the US ISM Services Purchasing Managers' Index (PMI) for May, which fell to 50.3. This data, coupled with dovish rhetoric from several Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) officials last week, has reinforced market expectations for an imminent pause in the Federal Reserve's tightening cycle. Market participants are now pricing in a higher probability of the US central bank keeping interest rates unchanged at the conclusion of its upcoming two-day policy meeting on June 14. Consequently, US Treasury bond yields experienced a significant overnight decline, keeping USD bulls on the defensive during the Asian session on Tuesday and providing support to the EUR/USD pair. However, it is worth noting that a cautious market sentiment could strengthen the safe-haven demand for the US dollar and limit gains for the Euro.
Nevertheless, the aforementioned fundamental backdrop appears to favor the bulls and supports the potential for an intraday appreciation in the EUR/USD pair. Investors are now awaiting the release of German Factory Orders data and Eurozone Retail Sales figures, which could provide fresh impetus. Meanwhile, there are no significant market-moving economic data releases expected from the US, which leaves the Greenback influenced by US bond yields and overall risk sentiment.
