USD/JPY jumpy as Japan’s core CPI easesThe Japanese yen showed some promise earlier, gaining as much as 0.48% against the US dollar as it rose to 153.59. However, it has pared those gains and is trading in Europe at 154.58, down 0.04%.
Japan’s nationwide CPI, which excludes fresh food, rose 2.6% y/y in March, down from 2.8% in February but higher than the market estimate of 2.7%. Core CPI has now exceeded the Bank of Japan’s 2% target for 24 consecutive months. The deceleration was driven by a decrease in food inflation but the yen’s weakness prevented a sharper drop in inflation.
The “core-core” CPI reading, which excludes fresh food and energy, dropped from 3.2% to 2.9% in March, below the forecast of 3%. This marked the first time that the index has fallen below 3% since November 2022.
While consumer inflation continues to slow, the Bank of Japan is more focused on services inflation, as it believes that services inflation together with higher wage growth are the recipe to ensuring that inflation remains sustainable at the 2% target.
The yen is down almost 10% since the start of the year and the sharp depreciation in such a short period has Tokyo concerned. The Ministry of Finance last intervened in the currency markets in late 2022 when the yen traded around 152. With the yen falling this week to 154.78, a 34-year old low, the markets are on alert for the possibility of another intervention.
The weak yen could also have a significant impact on rate policy. On Thursday, BoJ Governor Kazuo Ueda said that the Bank might raise interest rates again if the yen’s decline led to a significant rise in inflation. The BoJ lifted rates out of negative policy in March but the yen has weakened since then.
USD/JPY tested resistance at 154.43 earlier. Above, there is resistance at 154.71
There is support at 154.11 and 153.83
Inflation
GBP/USD eyes retail salesThe British pound is having a quiet week and that trend has continued on Thursday . In the North American session, GBP/USD is trading at 1.2450, down 0.04%.
The UK release retail sales for March on Friday. The market forecast for March is 0.7% y/y after a decline of 0.4% y/y in February. Today’s British Retail Consortium retail sales index jumped 3.5% y/y in March, raising hopes that the official retail sales release will also improve. The driver behind the strong gain was spending on food, as the Easter holidays fell in late March.
Retail sales have shown sharp swings in 2024, with adverse weather keeping shoppers at home and weighing on consumer spending. The weather will improve in the coming months and the Paris Olympics and Taylor Swift concerts are expected to lead to an increase in consumer spending and demand.
Inflation in the UK declined to 3.2% y/y in March, down from 3.4% in February but higher than the market estimate of 3.1%. The inflation rate fell to its lowest since September 2021 but the BoE remains cautious and is yet to signal that rate cuts are coming, especially as core inflation has proven to be sticky and is more than double the 2% target.
In the US, the Federal Reserve is none too happy about inflation accelerating in February and March. Fed Chair Powell said this week that higher-than-expected inflation would delay rate cuts and there are doubts whether the Fed will raise rates at all this year. The markets have slashed expectations for rate cuts due to the robust US economy and rising inflation.
GBP/USD tested support at 1.2451 earlier. Below, there is support at 1.2421
There is resistance at 1.2486 and 1.2516
AUD/USD steadies ahead of employment dataThe Australian dollar has stabilized on Wednesday, after a 2.2% decline over the past three days. In the North American session, AUD/USD is trading at 0.62254, up 0.37% but remains close to five-month lows.
Australia’s employment is expected to post a small gain of 7,200 in March after a blowout gain of 116,500 in February. The unemployment rate is expected to bump up to 3.9% after falling from 4.1% to 3.7% in February.
The stunning February jobs report made the Reserve Bank of Australia look good, as it paused rates (rather than cut) just two days earlier at its policy meeting. If the March data shows that the February release was a one-time blip and that the labor market is indeed cooling down, expectations for a rate cut will increase. The RBA has held the cash rate at 4.35% for three straight times and meets next on May 7.
The RBA will be monitoring key data ahead of the meeting and next week’s CPI release for the first quarter will be a key factor in the rate decision. Inflation has been moving lower but still remains above the target range of 2-3%. In February, headline CPI was unchanged at 3.4% while core inflation dropped from 4.1% to 3.9%.
In the US, the Federal Reserve is dealing with a robust US economy and rising inflation. This is complicating the battle with inflation and prompted Fed Chair Powell to deliver a blunt message on Tuesday.
Powell said that the Fed would wait longer than previously expected to lower rates as a result of higher than expected inflation reports. This warning led the markets to pare the odds of rate cut expectations, raising the possibility that the Fed might forgo rate cuts until 2025.
AUD/USD tested resistance at 0.6437 earlier. Above, there is resistance at 0.6472
0.6413 and 0.6378 are the next support levels
Eurozone Core & Headline CPI overviewEUROZONE CPI
Eurozone Headline and Core CPI for October both came in as expected (decrease)
Eurozone Headline CPI:
MoM – Actual 0.1% / Exp. 0.1% / Prev. 0.3%
YoY – Actual 2.9% / Exp. 2.9% / Prev. 4.3% (purple on chart)
Eurozone Core CPI:
MoM – Actual 0.2% / Exp. 0.2% / Prev. 0.2%
YoY – Actual 4.2% / Exp. 4.2% / Prev. 4.5% (blue on chart)
The chart below illustrates the direction of the current YoY down trend for both Headline and Core CPI however we are still not at the historical moderate levels of inflation desired. You can see these moderate levels of inflation between 0 – 2% from 2015 – 2020 below.
Is BOJ's Intervention Hiding Behind Inflation Data? Is BOJ's Intervention Hiding Behind Inflation Data?
Japanese inflation data is scheduled for release on Thursday, but its impact on the market might be subdued. Investors could prefer to pay attention to next week's quarterly growth and price forecasts from the Bank of Japan, which could be the real market movers.
According to sources cited by Reuters, the Bank of Japan is transitioning towards a more flexible approach in its policy decisions, placing less emphasis on inflation targeting.
The upcoming April 25-26 policy meeting will see the release of the Bank's quarterly growth and price projections. This shift in strategy suggests that the Bank of Japan may signal a willingness to raise interest rates irrespective of inflation forecasts, which are anticipated to remain around 2.8% or possibly dip slightly to 2.7%.
On the technical side, the USDJPY pair could maintain an upward bias, with buyers potentially pushing it towards the 155.00 mark.
Recent fluctuations in the USDJPY pair have prompted speculation about possible intervention by the Bank of Japan. After hitting a new high dating back to 1990 at 154.705, the pair experienced a swift and unusual downturn. Market watchers are closely monitoring the 155.00 level, considered another more likely potential intervention threshold by the Bank of Japan.
Following a dip to 153.890, the pair rebounded towards 154.775, supported by neutral to hawkish remarks from US Federal Reserve officials. Fed Chair Powell, speaking at a panel discussion in Washington, highlighted the strength of the labor market and progress on inflation, suggesting the Bank was comfortable with allowing “restrictive policy further time to work”.
SPY Right On TrackAs stated in this weekends video update, I expected us to retest the top of the red channel first, with potential to drop back inside the channel and test the bottom. The middle yellow channel is also a less likely possibility. I don't think we'll get down to the green again until AFTER we hit are WAVE 5 target and also, Inverse Head and Shoulders pattern target of 570. This should be hit sometime on or just before September of 2024. ...Then the crash.
Euro can’t find its footing after ECB pauseThe euro continues to stumble and is down for a fourth straight day. In the European session, EUR/USD is trading at 1.0653, down 0.67%. The euro has fallen 1.7% this week as the US dollar continues to flex its muscles against the major currencies.
The European Central Bank maintained the deposit rate at 4% for a fifth straight time on Thursday, as expected. Interest rates remain at record levels but Lagarde & Co. provided fresh hints that policy makers are looking to lower rates at the June meeting.
The economic background appears favorable for a rate cut. Eurozone inflation has dropped to 2.4%, close to the 2% target and the economy is barely growing. ECB members, including those with more hawkish views, have been hinting at a June rate cut. The ECB statement echoed this view, saying if its confidence increases that inflation is moving towards the target “in a sustained manner”, then a rate cut would be appropriate.
At her press conference, ECB President Lagarde noted that several members had voted in favor of a rate cut on Thursday. Lagarde added that the ECB could make a cut even if inflation remained above 2%, if the ECB was confident that inflation was moving in the right direction.
It’s a very different story in the US, where the Federal Reserve is dealing with a surprisingly strong US economy. March nonfarm payrolls crushed expectations and US inflation climbed to 3.5%, up from 3.2% and above the forecast of 3.4%. Fed members are sounding hawkish and the markets have slashed rate cut expectations.
After the hot US inflation report, Boston Fed President Collins said that the Fed may need to cut rates less than previously expected and New York Fed President Williams said there was “no clear need to adjust policy in the very near term”. The markets have lowered the odds of a June cut to just 24%, compared to 54% a week ago. A September cut was priced in at 91% a week ago but that has dropped to 72%, according to the CME FedWatch tool.
EUR/USD is testing support at 1.0651. Below, there is support at 1.0597
1.0749 and 1.0813 are the next resistance lines
TLT Treasuries Long breaks down under VWAP SHORTTLT on a 120 minute chart has continued its trend down since early December after a suddent
uptrend in November lasting for a two month until the end of 2023.
Inflation data is kicking the rate cut down the road of time.
Price has now fallen under the VWAP and all of the EMA lines including the EMA20.
Relative strength trending correlates with price . I conclude, TLT continues to be set up
SHORT or alternatively TBT LONG . I will take short trades at weekly highs on a 30-60
minute chart until signs of a reversal are seen on the chart.
COF - Capital One Drop and Pop LONGCOF is shown on 1 15 minute chart. The trade idea is to play the drop in a bank stock as a
reaction to the sticky inflation report and the idea that a rate cut already baked into stock
price is about to come off the table. This is a risky reversal trade. However, with risk comes
reward. The idea is on the chart. I will take a long trade here anticipating a return of 2%
and about seven times risk. A call option for an expiration of 4/19 will also be in the position,
striking 141. See also
Australian dollar steadies after sharp slideThe Australian dollar has stabilized on Thursday. In the North American session, AUD/USD is trading at 0.6524, up 0.19%. The Aussie plunged 1.75% a day earlier after US inflation accelerated and beat expectations.
US inflation has hit a bump, as March CPI accelerated to 3.5% y/y, up from 3.2% and above the market estimate of 3.4%. This is the second straight month that inflation has risen and is raising concerns that the Federal Reserve will delay lowering interest rates.
The markets have responded by slashing the odds of a rate cut in the upcoming meetings. A June cut is off the table and the odds of a July cut have dropped to 41%, down from 81% just one week ago. The Fed will understandably be reluctant to lower rates with inflation moving higher and the economy posting strong data such as last week’s blowout nonfarm payrolls.
In Australia, consumer inflation expectations rose to 4.6% in April, up from 4.3% in March and beating the forecast of 4.1%. This was the highest level since November and reflected sticky services inflation. Australia’s economy has been sluggish and GDP fell to 0.2% in the fourth quarter, the weakest print in five quarters. The slowdown in China has been a key reason why the Australian economy is struggling, as China is Australia’s largest trading partner.
China is grappling with deflation, a worrying sign of a weak economy. March CPI fell 1% m/m, after a 1% gain in February. This was lower than the market estimate of -0.5% and the lowest inflation rate in three years. On an annualized basis, inflation dropped to just 0.1%, down from 0.7% in February and shy of the market estimate of 0.4%.
China didn’t get any love from Fitch Ratings, which downgraded the country’s credit outlook to negative this week. Fitch highlighted China’s large fiscal deficits and rising government debt, although it did not lower China’s credit rating of A+.
AUD/USD tested resistance at 0.6548 earlier. Above, there is resistance at 0.6596
0.6464 and 0.6416 are the next support levels
THE KOG REPORT - UpdateEnd of day update from us here at KOG:
In the KOG report on Sunday we gave the extension levels of 2365 and 2372 as bullish targets which as we can see we're extending in to and completed one of them. Yesterday we said unless we broke below the bias level we were likely to take liquidity from higher again, so put caution on the short trades. Again, the opportunity presented itself to long the market which we gladly took for a level to level red box trade adding to the other pairs that hit TP's making this one of the biggest Months so far in terms of completed targets and pip capture in Camelot. For that reason, we're going to take it easy now and wait for CPI unless a clean opportunity arises.
So, what now?
For the remainder of the session and the Asian session we have resistance now 2350-55 which if we manage to hold could give us the potential swing down into the support levels 2330 and below that our bias level 2320! Break above, and we have added a new level for everyone as the potential target region before another expected RIP. We've left the original chart illustration from Sunday's KOG Report as we did say there will be an extension of the move, so for now we'll stick with it unless anything changes tomorrow. Please remember, pre-event price action will entail choppy market movement and conflicting patterns as well as the potential small range forming. Please be cautious on your trading!
Please do support us by hitting the like button, leaving a comment, and giving us a follow. We’ve been doing this for a long time now providing traders with in-depth free analysis on Gold, so your likes and comments are very much appreciated.
As always, trade safe.
KOG
Bearish Hedging Strategy LONG inverse ETFsThe idea is shown on this 120 minute. With the new sticky inflation data, the writing is on the
wall. Likely the rate cut will be kicked down the time road. When is in consideration may be
a rate hike in the meanwhile. Mortgage rates unchanged makes the banks suffer. Loan
applications are down. Treasuries are being affected. So are tech stocks that have a growth
perspective as a fundamental basis for anticipated futures growth propelling share price.
This hedging idea is a way to survive or even thrive in a chaotic and volatile market
environment and a means to treat an overload of bullish bias with an antidote of sorts.
EUR/USD to slump again after ECB decision? The EUR/USD plunged after the hotter-than-expected CPI, as traders reevaluated the odds of a Fed rate cut in June.
EUR/USD has now perhaps broken out of the range of its significant Simple Moving Averages.
Now we might get another pushdown in the lead up to or after the ECB interest rate decision tomorrow. The April 2 swing low of 1.07245 may prove pivotal. The previous session's decline was the biggest single-day decline since March 2023, so it will be interesting to see if this bearishness has been exhausted.
The European Central Bank (ECB) is expected to keep rates unchanged but perhaps point towards the start of its own rate cutting cycle in June. ECB officials have already begun discussing this timeline, so tomorrow’s announcement might lack the bite of a CPI print.
Instead, traders could look for clues on future ECB policy during Christine Lagarde’s press conference following the rate decision.
JPY has had 180 next few years written over it for a while nowI wasn't going to post about this one as I imagine it's being covered by everyone what with the captain obvious setup on a basic horizontal but since I've covered the Yen before I may as well
I haven't re-visted this chart properly since I made some calls about that blue broadening wedge a few years back and the initial 152 resistance (see the related posts below) but one of these days in the not too distant future I will
The cyan channel that I spotted out when I looked at it last looks like it's the upper half of a bigger channel
Some very notable calls in recent years:
SPREADEX:NIKKEI and DJ:DJI both to 40k (over 1y in advance)
CRYPTOCAP:BTC pico bottom at 15k and recent local top at 70k
FX:EURUSD pico bottom & TVC:DXY pico top at 115
TVC:USOIL pico bottom at 68
NASDAQ:SMCI mega breakout at 100
NASDAQ:NVDA mega support at 120
NASDAQ:TSLA pico bottom at 105
NASDAQ:NFLX pico bottom at 165
THE KOG REPORT -CPIQuick update on the charts pre-event.
We'll keep it simple as for this, there is likely to be a lot of volume entering the markets on the release, and the movement can be extreme. A lot of traders are expecting this to pullback, and they may get the move, however, they could surprise everyone and continue this move to the upside before then bringing it down.
We have added our basic intra-day levels as well as the hots spots on the chart. We'll be looking for RIPs at the levels.
Immediate support stands at 2340 and below that 2320 which is our bias level, which if broken you can see where they can take the price. That's where we feel opportunities will present themselves to long the market.
Immediate resistance stands at 2380-5 and above that 2390-5, if broken, you can see where they can take the price before any attempt on the pullback short!
We'll stick with extreme levels, or, wait for the move to finish before we get involved. No need to throw ego's into calling the move this time as this one is an important one!
As always, trade safe.
KOG
lets talk about halving Take your time to readCRYPTO:BTCUSD This is not a trend analysis or signal of any kind just my own speculation about what may come to happen after the halving .
as we know the last cycle coincided with the fed cutting rates and the money printing going crazy like brrrrr .
although we can expect at least another round of rate cuts in 2024 nothing is really guaranteed this cycle .
we've been seeing consolidation in the BINANCE:BTCUSDT chart for the last couple months . now I'm not really bearish but what scares me is that last time we had the rate cuts then the halving kicked in and we gone from nearly 3k all the way to 64k before any major correction .
If a sell the news event was going to occur after the halving we could expect a few weeks to a couple months of downward selling pressure on bitcoin price before major upside gains .
I don't say such scenario will happen but it's better to be prepared incase of such event .
what i personally do is just have 50 percent of my capital ready to invest if the markets go down as the result of a black swan event because we do have the institutional support this cycle but at the same time after about 4 years of experience in the markets i know that brokers and institutions love to liquidate the retail before major moves .
So i think although the trend is bullish in the long term we might have extra volatility in the short term and it pays to be ready for any possible move .
thanks for your time.
use this information with due diligence.
Are Interest Rates going Higher?What would cause rates to move higher?
Inflation 2.0?
According to this long term yield chart were about to experience a paradigm shift in rates.
If this Monthly Golden cross occurs we should see a bull market in rates continue into the future.
This would not be a good sing for risk equites. The last time we got the opposite signal" Death cross" we saw a 30 year bond bull market/ 30 year bear yield market.
Maybe the traditional 60 equity/40 bond gets toppled. Maybe we move to a 40 equity/60 bond portfolio.
If This rotation was to occur, the stock market would likely see a significant loss.
NZ dollar climbs ahead of RBNZ rate decisionThe New Zealand dollar has posted considerable gains on Tuesday. In the North American session, NZD/USD is trading at 0.6065, up 0.54% and its highest level since March 21.
The Reserve Bank of New Zealand meets early on Wednesday and it’s practically a given that it will hold the cash rate at 5.5%. This would mark the sixth straight time that the RBNZ maintains rates and prolongs its “higher for longer stance”.
Investors will be interested in whether the RBNZ pushes back against market expectations of rate cuts – investors have priced in two cuts with a 70% probability of a third this year. The decision will not include updated economic forecasts or a news conference with Governor Orr, which could limit New Zealand dollar volatility around the meeting.
The markets are being aggressive in their pricing of rate cuts, mainly due to a weak economy, as GDP has contracted in four of the past five quarters. However, high inflation is a key reason why the RBNZ is hesitant to signal rate cuts are coming. In the fourth quarter, the inflation rate was 4.7%, well above the upper limit of the 1-3% target band. New Zealand releases first-quarter CPI next week, and the release will be a key factor in the central bank’s rate policy.
The RBNZ would prefer to have the Federal Reserve cut rates first, as this would boost the New Zealand dollar and weigh on inflation. The Fed has signaled rate cuts are coming but stronger than expected data, such as last week’s nonfarm payrolls, may lead the Fed to delay lowering rates.
NZD/USD is testing resistance at 0.6060. Above, there is resistance at 0.6107
0.6000 and 0.5953 are providing support
Where my 40k NKD target came from & why it could go higher laterI've been giving warnings ever since the c0v1d black swan, and especially since the 25k re-test, that Nikkei will grow wings but here's a seeing-is-believing look at where my 40k target comes from
For sure it could go higher later and break this key resistance but I would expect at least one more re-test of the navy blue channel beforehand
In theory there's no reason why a solid year can't be spent consolidating under that resistance a la 2006
Some very notable calls in recent years:
SPREADEX:NIKKEI and TVC:DJI both to 40k (over 1y in advance)
CRYPTOCAP:BTC pico bottom at 15k and recent local top at 70k
FX:EURUSD pico bottom & TVC:DXY pico top at 115
TVC:USOIL pico bottom at 68
NASDAQ:SMCI mega breakout at 100
NASDAQ:NVDA mega support at 120
NASDAQ:TSLA pico bottom at 105
NASDAQ:NFLX pico bottom at 165
Must-know events for the trading week Must-know events for the trading week
The week ahead in the US will be marked by significant events, including the release of the FOMC meeting minutes and March inflation data.
Alongside the meeting minutes, investors will continue to analyze speeches from various Fed officials: Recent remarks from Minneapolis Federal Reserve Bank President Neel Kashkari revealed that he had anticipated two interest rate cuts this year. However, he noted that if inflation remains sluggish, no cuts may be necessary. This outcome would really surprise the market, which is mostly still expecting three cuts, starting in June.
Headline inflation is expected to rise for a second consecutive period to 3.4%, while the core rate is projected to decline to 3.7%, reaching its lowest level since April 2021.
In Europe, all eyes will be on the European Central Bank's meeting, where current interest rates are anticipated to be maintained. The likelihood of future rate cuts will be assessed by the market at the same time.
In Japan, investors will be monitoring potential intervention actions from the Bank of Japan to support the yen. Governor Kazuo Ueda will also be speaking during the week regarding the central bank's future steps.
Meanwhile, the Reserve Bank of New Zealand is expected to leave the official cash rate unchanged at 5.5%. The RBNZ's latest forecast from February suggests that the OCR will remain steady until early to mid-2025, despite expressing increased confidence based on recent data.
YM ran to 40k without any resistance just like I said it wouldI've been saying for some time now that Dow Jones has _no_ relevant resistance till 40k and now here we are
If that resistance fades quickly then the next relevant resistance is at 45k and probably most retailers will come up with excuses to short it the whole way there also
"But how did you come up with that number?"
See for yourself heh this is a very clear cut chart at such high timeframes not too dissimilar to BTC and XAU
Some very notable calls in recent years:
SPREADEX:NIKKEI and TVC:DJI both to 40k (over 1y in advance)
CRYPTOCAP:BTC pico bottom at 15k and recent local top at 70k
FX:EURUSD pico bottom & TVC:DXY pico top at 115
TVC:USOIL pico bottom at 68
NASDAQ:SMCI mega breakout at 100
NASDAQ:NVDA mega support at 120
NASDAQ:TSLA pico bottom at 105
NASDAQ:NFLX pico bottom at 165