USD
The US dollar gave up some of its recent gains to its major counterparts on Friday when traders booked profits ahead of the weekend. Against the yen though, the dollar continued its ascent as USD/JPY is now approaching the 102.00 mark.
There were no economic reports released from the US economy last Friday. For today, only the pending home sales report is lined up and it is expected to show a 2.2% rebound from the previous 5.6% decline. A stronger than expected figure might provide the dollar another boost in today’s trading sessions.
EUR
The euro rebounded against its major counterparts and broke above the 1.3500 handle on Friday, despite rumors of negative deposit rates. Data from Germany was much stronger than projected, as the Ifo business climate figure surged from 107.4 to 109.3, reflecting stronger optimism in the sector. There are no reports due from the euro zone today so it remains to be seen whether the euro can be able to hold on to its recent gains and go for more.
GBP
The pound is currently testing the top of its range against the US dollar, as optimism for the UK economy lifted the British currency throughout the week. There were no reports released from the UK last Friday and today has only the BBA mortgage approvals data lined up. This is expected to show a small improvement from 43.0K to 45.2K, reflecting stronger demand for home loans and purchases. A higher than expected result could trigger an upside breakout from 1.6250 for GBP/USD while a weak reading might lead to a quick selloff or consolidation.
CHF
The franc resumed its winning ways against the dollar on Friday as USD/CHF sank below the .9100 major psychological level. At the moment, the pair is lingering at the bottom of a falling channel but a breakout could take place if more dollar weakness is seen. Swiss employment level is due today and it is expected to show a small rise from 4.17M to 4.19M.
JPY
The yen kept losing ground to its counterparts last week and until the start of this week, after BOJ officials emphasized their commitment to further easing if needed. Data from Japan is set for release by the end of this week so the yen could keep going on its recent slide unless we see a change in market sentiment.
Commodity Currencies (AUD, NZD, CAD)
The comdolls were still trading on a weak note until the end of the week as commodities also saw strong declines. Gold is trading at its low levels, although analysts are expecting a quick bounce sooner or later. Data from Canada was mixed on Friday, as the core CPI and headline retail sales came in strong but the headline CPI and core retail sales fell short of expectations. There are no reports due from these comdoll economies today so risk sentiment might be a major driving factor.
By Kate Curtis from Trader’s Way
