USD Putting the buck s beating into perspective

Ahead of tomorrow’s highly-anticipated NFP meeting, sentiment toward the US dollar could hardly be more pessimistic. The world’s reserve currency just saw its biggest 2-day drop in nearly a year and has now given up all of its gains from the start of the year. As we noted yesterday, the move has been driven primarily by fading expectations of any rate hike from the Federal Reserve this year, and the 10-year US treasury bond yield has dropped to a 1-year low below the 1.90% as a result.

With that backdrop, it’s no surprise that the US dollar has been clobbered in this week’s trade. The dollar index, which measures the strength of the world’s reserve currency against six of its biggest rivals, has dropped all the way down to test its 200-day moving average in the mid-96.00s while its biggest component, EUR/USD, has rocketed to a 3-month high around 1.1200.

From a technical pattern perspective, the current drop in the dollar index has created a violent breakdown from the previous rising wedge pattern. Despite the seemingly bullish name, this price action pattern shows that buyers are struggling to push the price higher on each subsequent swing. It is a classic sign of waning buying pressure and provided a big warning sign for traders who were skeptical of the dollar’s rally.

Meanwhile, the secondary indicators have also taken a turn for the worse over the last few days. For its part, the MACD indicator has rolled over to cross below both its signal line and the “0” level, signaling a big shift to outright bearish momentum. Meanwhile, the RSI indicator has also broken below its recent range and is now definitively in bearish territory.

Of course, the most important question for traders is “what happens next?” In the short-term, a combination of fundamental and technical factors will drive the currency. Namely, tomorrow’s NFP report will help determine whether the dollar index can hold above 200-day MA support; if that support level holds, an oversold bounce back into the upper-90.00s is definitely possible, though the currency may still have trouble clearing strong resistance in the 100.00 zone given fading interest rate hike expectations. Meanwhile, a disappointing NFP report could drive the dollar through 200-day support down toward the 61.8% retracement of the August-December rally at 95.60 (not shown) or lower as we move through this month.

StoneX Financial Ltd (trading as “City Index”) is an execution-only service provider. This material, whether or not it states any opinions, is for general information purposes only and it does not take into account your personal circumstances or objectives. This material has been prepared using the thoughts and opinions of the author and these may change. However, City Index does not plan to provide further updates to any material once published and it is not under any obligation to keep this material up to date. This material is short term in nature and may only relate to facts and circumstances existing at a specific time or day. Nothing in this material is (or should be considered to be) financial, investment, legal, tax or other advice and no reliance should be placed on it.

No opinion given in this material constitutes a recommendation by City Index or the author that any particular investment, security, transaction or investment strategy is suitable for any specific person. The material has not been prepared in accordance with legal requirements designed to promote the independence of investment research. Although City Index is not specifically prevented from dealing before providing this material, City Index does not seek to take advantage of the material prior to its dissemination. This material is not intended for distribution to, or use by, any person in any country or jurisdiction where such distribution or use would be contrary to local law or regulation.

For further details see our full non-independent research disclaimer and quarterly summary.

CFDs are complex instruments and come with a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage. 69% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs with this provider. You should consider whether you understand how CFDs work and whether you can afford to take the high risk of losing your money. CFD and Forex Trading are leveraged products and your capital is at risk. They may not be suitable for everyone. Please ensure you fully understand the risks involved by reading our full risk warning.

City Index is a trading name of StoneX Financial Ltd. Head and Registered Office: 1st Floor, Moor House, 120 London Wall, London, EC2Y 5ET. StoneX Financial Ltd is a company registered in England and Wales, number: 05616586. Authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. FCA Register Number: 446717.

City Index is a trademark of StoneX Financial Ltd.

The information on this website is not targeted at the general public of any particular country. It is not intended for distribution to residents in any country where such distribution or use would contravene any local law or regulatory requirement.