Market Roundup
- Fed’s Yellen: looking forward to day of rate hike, delaying liftoff raises risks of overshooting targets.
- Atlanta Fed’s Lockhart: case compelling for Dec hike, hike should be seen as vote of confidence.
- US ADP Nov private-sector payrolls increase largest since June (+217k).
- U.S. third-quarter productivity revised higher, but trend weak.
- U.S. crude stocks climb for 10th straight week – EIA, Crude ends NY -3.9%.
- Bank of Canada holds rates, flags household vulnerabilities; BoC less dovish than expected.
- Spanish court blocks Catalan independence drive.
- Moody’s: Stress in commodity sectors will be a key credit hazard in 2016.
- Watch for US recession, zero interest rates in China next year (Citi).
Looking Ahead – Economic Data (GMT)
- 22:30 Australia AIG Services Index *Nov 48.9-previous
- 23:50 Japan Foreign Bond Investment* w/e 410.9b-previous
- 23:50 Japan Foreign Invest JP Stock* w/e 178.7b-previous
- 00:00 Australia HIA New Home Sales m/m *Oct -4%-previous
- 00:30 Australia Trade Balance G&S (A$)* Oct forecast -2665m, -2317m-previous
- 00:30 Australia Goods/Services Imports* Oct 2%-previous
- 00:30 Australia Goods/Services Exports*Oct 3%-previous
Looking Ahead – Events, Other Releases (GMT)
- 06:30 Japan- Bank of Japan board member Takahide Kiuchi to speak at a forum on capital markets
Currency SummariesEUR/USD is likely to find support at 1.0600 levels and currently trading at 1.0620 levels. The pair has made session high at 1.0626 and hit lows at 1.0548 levels. The dollar extended gains against euro on Wednesday, as Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen signaled a readiness to hike interest rates and investors positively viewed ADP employment data that indicated a strengthening labor market. Yellen said she was looking forward to a U.S. interest rate hike that will be seen as a testament to the economy’s recovery from recession. The euro hit a 7-1/2 month low against the dollar of $1.0552 following Yellen’s remarks. It last traded at $1.0573, down 0.6 percent on the day. The euro has fallen in five of the last six sessions against the dollar. The dollar, meanwhile, touched its highest in two weeks versus the yen at 123.66 yen and was last up 0.7 percent at 123.56 yen. The European Central Bank meets on Thursday and is expected to loosen monetary policy still further, with investors expecting a further cut of the deposit rate and an expansion of the ECB’s 1 trillion euro asset-purchase programme. To the upside, immediate resistance can be seen at 1.0630. To the downside, immediate support level is located at 1.0600 levels.GBP/USD is supported in the range of 1.4886 and currently trading at 1.4946 levels. It reached session high at 1.4960 and hit low at 1.4886 levels. Sterling slipped sharply by one percent against the dollar on Wednesday to hit its weakest level since April as positive economic data from US strengthened the view that the Federal Reserve will raise U.S. interest rates later this month. The pound weakness against the dollar was also fueled by a survey of purchasing managers in the construction sector that came in almost 3 full points below market expectations. The poor numbers followed a negative data of manufacturing survey on Tuesday indicating the British economy is struggling to cope up with expected level that will prompt the Bank of England to raise interest rates. Sterling fell to a 7-1/2-month low of $1.4936 after the data, while also edging down 0.3 percent against the euro, to 70.75 pence. The European Central Bank meets on Thursday and is expected to loosen monetary policy still further, with investors expecting a further cut of the deposit rate and an expansion of the ECB’s 1 trillion euro asset-purchase programme. To the upside, immediate resistance can be seen at 1.4993. To the downside, immediate support level is located at 1.4895 levels.AUD/USD is supported around 0.7280 levels and currently trading at 0.7307 levels. It hit session high at 0.7331 and made session lows at 0.7293 levels. The Australian dollar held near seven-week highs on Wednesday after data showed solid economic growth last quarter, supporting views that interest rates will not be cut in the near term. The central bank kept rates at 2.0 percent at its monthly policy meeting on Tuesday for a seventh month, citing signs activity was picking up, helped by past cuts and a low local currency. While it appeared in no rush to cut again, the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) kept an easing bias. The Aussie dollar was supported after data showed Australia’s economy grew a brisk 0.9 percent in the third quarter, marking a remarkable 24th year without a recession. Annual growth of 2.5 percent exceeded most developed nations and beat forecasts of 2.4 percent. The Australian dollar climbed as far as $0.7345, having surged a full cent on Tuesday. It was last at $0.7314, having risen 1.6 percent in three sessions. The currency touched a five-month peak against the euro and pound, while it powered to its highest since August on the yen. To the upside, immediate resistance can be seen at 0.7340. To the downside, immediate support level is located at 0.7308 levels. USD/CAD is supported at 1.3300 levels and is trading at 1.3349 levels. It has made session high at 1.3406 and lows at 1.3306 levels. The Canadian dollar rose against the U.S. dollar on Wednesday after the Bank of Canada held interest rates unchanged but used less dovish language in its policy statement than some expected. The bank kept its benchmark rate steady at 0.5 percent, as expected, though it said vulnerabilities in the household sector continued to edge higher. The currency had earlier weakened as crude oil prices retreated after a rise in U.S. inventories added to the global glut and investors discounted the possibility of OPEC cutting output at this week’s meeting. The currency’s strongest level of the session was C$1.3309, while its weakest was C$1.3407, a nine-day low. Against the euro, the Canadian dollar strengthened to C$1.4101 after a soft inflation reading from the euro zone raised expectations for aggressive policy easing from the European Central Bank on Thursday. To the upside, immediate resistance can be seen at 1.3364. To the downside, immediate support level is located at 1.3323 levels.Equities RecapEuropean stocks ended mixed on Wednesday, as the investors keenly waited to know the prospects of new stimulus measures by the ECB when it meets on Thursday.UK’s benchmark FTSE 100 closed up by 0.46 percent, the pan-European FTSEurofirst 300 ended the day up by 0.07 percent, Germany’s Dax ended down by 0.6 percent, France’s CAC finished the day down by 0.11 percent.US stocks closed lower after hawkish comments from Federal Reserve’s yellen boosted expectations of interest rate hike was on cards for December.Dow Jones closed down by 0.87 percent, S&P 500 ended down by 1.08 percent, Nasdaq finished the day down by 0.62 percent.Treasuries RecapPrices of U.S. Treasuries were little changed, with yields on longer-dated issues rising slightly, on Wednesday afternoon after Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen said she is “looking forward” to a U.S. interest rate hike.U.S. 2-year Treasury notes were last down 3/32 in price to yield 0.95 percent.U.S. benchmark 10-year Treasury notes were last down 11/32 in price to yield 2.197, up from 2.183 percent earlier on the day.The U.S. 30-year bond fell 11/32 in price to yield 2.936 percent, up from 2.924 percent earlier on the day.Commodities RecapGold fell more than 1 percent on Wednesday, snapping two days of gains, as the dollar rose against the euro ahead of expected further stimulus from the European Central Bank on Thursday and U.S. payrolls data later in the week.Spot gold was down 1.3 percent at $1,055.90 an ounce at 1500 GMT. Last week it slid to its lowest since February 2010 at $1,052.46. U.S. gold futures for February delivery were down $8.90 an ounce at $1,054.60.Oil prices tumbled more than 4 percent on Wednesday as surging U.S. stockpiles and a rallying dollar prompted traders to dump crude contracts amid signs the world’s largest oil producers will not cut production when they meet this week.Brent settled down $1.95, or 4.4 percent, at $42.49 a barrel. It hit a session low of $42.43, just 20 cents off from the 6-1/2-year low it struck in August.WTI finished the session down $1.91, or 4.6 percent, at $39.94, before returning to above $40 in post-settlement. Its low for the day was $39.84, a bottom for its front-month January contract CLF6.
The material has been provided by InstaForex Company – www.instaforex.com