Forex Insights

Aussie Down Under

28/08/2012 10:52

• Aussie Dips Below 1.0360
• Faith In US Intervention Wanes
• Eyes On US, China For Bullish Cues

The Australian dollar took a dive late Tuesday as the graveness of the global financial situation began to take a toll on investor optimism. Spanish GDP, which was revealed to be languishing below exp »

A Hole Lot Of Shaking Goin’ On!

28/08/2012 09:13

* USD Remains In Limbo

* Central Bankers Of the World Unite

* Euro Zone Still Has The Potential To Scupper the Markets

Forex traders can expect another few days of relative limbo ahead of this Friday’s main event taking place at the prosaically named Jackson Hole. The meeting of the world’s most influentia »

Editor’s Morning Forex Review: Euro-Land Of Make Believe

28/08/2012 08:47

•  The Global Implications Of The Euro
• History Repeating Itself
• Mea Culpa

World leaders must be spending more time fretting about the euro zone crisis than practically any other issue these days. That said, wised up forex traders might be a bit surprised at President Obama, »

Pleas Talks

24/08/2012 16:21

• EUR/USD In Decline
• Merkel Talks Riddles
• Samaras Looks Glum

The euro has finished the week on a subdued note. Despite Angela Merkel’s attempt at some uplifting words after her meeting with Greek PM Antonis Samaras, her colleague, German CDU leader Kauder »

Euro Retraces Gains On German Comments

24/08/2012 13:01

• Merkel/Samaras get Down To Business
• EUR/USD Intensify Its Fall
• Psych Level In Sight

The meeting between Angela Merkel and Greek PM Samaras has ended. Speaking afterwards at a press conference, Mrs Merkel said she's convinced that Greece’s government is doing all possible to sol »

UK GDP Revised to 0.5 Percent

24/08/2012 09:42

• UK GDP In Line With Expectations At 0.5 Percent
• Pound Thrives On Upbeat Data
• ...But UK Still In Recessionary Territory

In line with expectations, Britain’s GDP has been revised down from the previous estimate of a 0.7 percent contraction. The figure for betweenApril and June now stands at 0.5 percent. Grow »

A Right-Angela’d Triangle Of A Day

24/08/2012 09:19

• Grexit Still haunts The Markets
• How Much Is Enough?
• Is The World Ready For A Second Iron Lady?

Forex traders will be relieved to know I have been trawling the online news-sites for a take on the next episode of Mission Impossible - aka Avoid A Grexit And Save The Euro, with which to regale you. »

Desert Island Risks

23/08/2012 17:11

• An Island For A Hedge
• I Own Ionia
• To Hellenic And Back

Here’s something to keep forex traders’ interest at the end of another day scrutinising the currency screens for signs of life. If you have a bit of loose change to hand, or a few hundred »

British Shoppers Lose their Mo-Jo!

23/08/2012 16:23

• Olympic Effect Fails To Perform
• Sterling Holding The bend
• Greenback Stuck In The Blocks

After yesterday’s cable market consolidation which, as forex traders saw, rallied sharply with the USD selling in the wake of the FOMC Minutes, today has seen the pair taking a breather. The 38. »

‘Home Sweet New Home’ For The US

23/08/2012 16:07

• New Home Sales Up 3.6 Percent
• Home Prices Fall
• Dovish Outlook Weighs On Dollar

New home sales in America rose more-than-expected in July, while home prices themselves fell. The figures are the latest in a string of confusing data from the US which has provided mixed signals over »

Going A-Roving

23/08/2012 14:29

• Euro Hits Seven-Week High Against USD
• FOMC Lets The Bull Loose
• Greenback Down Across The Board

As the culmination of a 352-million-mile trip, it was a pretty modest test drive. Trundling forward just 15 feet over the red dust of Mars, turning 120 degrees on its own axis before backing up about »

“Grexit Would Be Devastating” – Greek PM

23/08/2012 12:52

• Samaras Speaks To Shore Up Extension Request
• EUR/USD Buoyed Despite Can-Kicking
• Euro Stable At 1.2556

After demanding more time to implement the spending cuts desperately needed to salvage the Greek economy, PM Antonis Samaras now appears to be forcing the request through with some tough talk. Speaki »

FOMC Minutes Shock Traders

23/08/2012 10:50

• Minutes Emerge More Dovish-Than-Expected
• Dollar Drops Against Most Major Peers
• Caution Advised Over Easing Expectations

Traders and analysts Thursday morning were faced with the tough challenge of digesting surprising FOMC minutes amid downbeat euro zone PMI data and catastrophic Chinese manufacturing figures. The det »

Euro Zone PMI Data Disappoints

23/08/2012 09:31

• Euro Zone PMI Contract For Seventh Month
• German Service PMI Hits Three-Year Low
• Euro Outlook Bearish

Germany has posted its weakest monthly private sector performance in three years, according to data from Markit. Analyst consensus before the reading was for a drop to 50.0 points from the previous m »

Whine and Pleas

23/08/2012 08:58

• Buyers And Cellars
• Happy Returns
• Red, White And Blue

What with rate rigging, the payment protection racket and pursuing a bunch of Bankstas, one might have imagined the FSA would have had plenty to be getting on with. But not so. While forex traders po »

A Silver Lining For Precious Metals?

22/08/2012 16:26

• Gold Prices Flatten Ahead Of Fed Data
• Palladium Strike Fear Pushes Precious Prices
• Barratt’s Bulletin Analysts Bullish On Silver

As the markets await word on the state of play from across the pond via the release of FOMC minute due out later this evening, we shine a light on the prospects for precious metals. Gold Eyed Ahead o »

U.S. Building From The Ground Up

22/08/2012 16:10

• Europe and Japan Conspire To Push U.S. stocks lower
• Greece Plays For Time
• U.S. House Sales Show Signs Of Improvement

Newly printed weak export data from Japan that does little to assuage the gloom facing the global economy conspired to send U.S. stocks lower at today’s open. Thus, the Dow Jones industrial aver »

Anyone Got An Aspirin?

22/08/2012 15:14

• Anyone For Vecksler?
• Eurodollar – Yet More Chatter
• FOMC Minutes Awaited With Baited Yawns

Do you, dear forex trader, ever find yourself feeling a tad Veksler? What’s that, then, do I hear you ask? Before I share with you the precise meaning of this new adjective, first spare a though »

FOMC Minutes Awaited

22/08/2012 12:33

• Greenback Trading Strongly Ahead Of The FOMC
• Cable Ahead Of The Pack
• Weak US Data Falling On Deaf Ears

The GBP managed to reach a three-month high against the dollar this morning, pushing forward with the previous day’s gains on suddenly rejuvenated optimism that the ECB stands on the brink of &n »

Copper Bottoms On Japanese Data; ECB Fears

22/08/2012 11:53

• Copper Retreats With Global Stocks
• Japan Deficit Posts At Over 500bn
• ECB Faith Wanes

Accompanied by stocks the world over, copper retreated in the face of Japan’s broadening trade deficit. The metal fell 0.4 percent to $7,578 a metric ton on the London Metal Exchange in the wak »

Oil Advances On Supply Concern; FOMC Minutes Eyed

22/08/2012 10:14

• Oil Reaches $96.93 in Bangkok
• Goldman Sachs Analysts Bullish
• FOMC Minutes: Mixed Outlook

Oil prices jumped Wednesday as supply problems and increasing tensions in the Middle East looked set to underline crude prices further. The gains come off the back of Tuesday’s crude advance on »

CHINA: HANDLE WITH CARE

22/08/2012 09:03

• The Mother Of All Asset Bubbles
• Is China Facing Its Own ‘Lost Decade’?
• China Bulls - Bear Necessities!

Four years on from Beijing’s successful if somewhat authoritarian hosting of the Olympic Games, China has been hitting the headlines... mostly for the wrong reasons. From its squandered Olympic »

Time To Get Bullish On Bullion

21/08/2012 16:09

• U.S. QE3 Expectations Fading
• Commodities Rally Broadly
• Eyes On September Meeting

The renewed promise of salvation for euro zone nations drowning in debt, combined with waning QE3 expectations, have sparked a commodities rally which has sent oil and gold up charts. Benchmark oil f »

UK MANUFACTURERS REPORT WEAKENING

21/08/2012 14:53

• CBI TURNING THE SCREWS
• EXPORTS DETERIORATE
• CABLE LOSES STEAM 

In what turned out to be a pretty pro-risk morning across the currency and other markets, forex traders have seen the GBP finding some direction amid conditions far from favourable to the USD, while t »

Loonie Tunes: Or Madness Gone Politically Correct!

21/08/2012 12:55

• Canadian Economy In Better Shape Than Many
• CAD Posts Healthy Gains Vs The USD
• BoC Boss Holds Up His Hands

The Canadian dollar held close to its strongest level in more than three months thanks largely to improved economic growth prospects and growing optimism over the euro zone moving closer to curbing it »

RBA Minutes Buoy Appetite For Tasman Currencies

21/08/2012 12:34

• Aussie Breaks 1.05 Resistance
• Kiwi Up O.5 Percent
• Investors Eager For Governor Speech

The euro zone may continue to divert attention from some of its less precarious peers, but an announcement from the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) succeeded in stealing the limelight earlier in the A »

UK’S PLAN A - ‘MORE HOLES THAN A SWISS CHEESE’!

21/08/2012 11:49

• UK Public Sector Finances Up The Creek
• Sterling Paddles Up-River
• Osborne Feels The Draft

Forex traders saw the EUR/GBP execute an impressive upside leap after optimistic comments by ratings agency Fitch’s head of sovereign debt, David Riley, saying the ECB may be willing to act with »

Euro Holds Steady In Asian Session

21/08/2012 09:32

• Single Currency Vulnerable To Doubts
• Can Germany Calm The Markets?
• Storm Brewing?

In Asian trading, euro/dollar has been staging a rally ahead of the European opening, while futures for the DAX 30 and French CAC 40 edge higher, and the pair keeps on extending gains. Forex traders s »

Editor’s Morning Forex Review: A Curate’s Egg Of A Business

21/08/2012 00:00

• Markets Remain Un-Eggcited
• Euro Hard Boiled At 1.24 Against The USD
• Greek Chickens Coming Home To Roost

As any forex trader conversant with late-nineteenth-century cartoons will know, the expression "curate's egg" describes something that is at least partly bad, but with some arguably redeeming features »

GBP moves to a two-and-a-half-week high

16/08/2012 16:48

• GBP Hits $1.5739
• Extension of BoE QE?
• Sterling Steady Versus The Euro 

A mixture of upbeat UK retail sales data and a newly-published survey suggesting that Britain’s economy should grow by a whopping 0.7 percent in Q3, sent sterling to more than a two-week high ag »

EUR/USD soars towards 1.2330

16/08/2012 14:36

ForexSpace.com (LONDON) – The euro has a head of steam following the release of U.S. data, including a weekly labour market report which came in softer than hoped.Initial jobless claims have ris »

USD/JPY on the way back to 79.36 high

16/08/2012 14:20

• Greenback Soars On Stop-Loss Buying
• 79.50 Unlikely
• Sunrise For The U.S. Economy, Or False Dawn?

As the corrective movement from the USD/JPY’s latest upside to 79.36 high appears to have run out of puff at a 79.13 session low, forex traders will be looking to get the pair into recovery mode »

USD/JPY at 1-month high on rising U.S. yields

16/08/2012 12:51

ForexSpace.com (LONDON) – The dollar rose to a one-month high against the yen today, extending gains after recent upbeat U.S. data pushed Treasury yields higher and cooled expectations of furthe »

GBP/USD Pushes At The 1.5700 Door

16/08/2012 12:43

ForexSpace.com (LONDON) – After a flirting with a 45-pip spike, GBP/USD has retreated from its session high of 1.5715 during early European trading. The uptick occurred as a direct consequence o »

UK retail sales notch up an Olympian gold medal performance

16/08/2012 12:29

• Britain Runs To The Shops  
• Sterling Sprints Ahead
• GBP/USD High Jumps A 45-Pip Spike

For forex traders especially interested in sterling, yesterday’s big news hinting at the likelihood of more QE coming from the Bank of England gave us something to get our teeth into. Sterling f »

Beijing hints at monetary easing as Chinese growth stalls

16/08/2012 10:40

• Wen’s Warning
• Hard Landing Here Already?
• Yuan Set For Further Fluctuations

The uncertainty that surrounds China's jobs market will become "more complex and severe," the country's premier has warned. Speaking yesterday, Wen Jiabao said his country’s economy (the world&r »

Editor’s Forex Morning Review: Go Figure…

16/08/2012 09:38

• UK Employment: So That’s All Good Then!
• Rose-Tinted Speculators
• Sterling On A Roll

Forex traders far and wide know that sterling has been one of the best performing majors so far this week. And yesterday proved yet again that the markets are eager to rally on the slightest whiff of »

That’s Another Fine Mess…!

15/08/2012 16:05

• U.S. Econ Still Grinding Along The Floor
• USD/JPY – Heading Higher Still?
• Fetch The Fire Axe!

At today’s stateside opening bell, forex traders saw the greenback touch a 1-month high versus the JPY on the coat-tails of yesterday’s impressive U.S. retail sales report which looks to h »

GBP/USD @ 1.5700 on US data

15/08/2012 14:36

ForexSpace.com (LONDON) – The British pound is continuing below the key resistance at 1.5700 in the wake of data out of the U.S. showing the world’s largest economy’s inflation figur »

USD/JPY eyes 1-month high ahead of U.S. data

15/08/2012 12:58

ForexSpace.com (LONDON) - The U.S. dollar has soared to a 1-month high against the Japanese yen after yesterday's sturdy US retail sales report closed the door, at least for the time being, on any fur »

All Eyes On The U.S.

15/08/2012 12:35

• Industrial Production Data On The Horizon
• Bread Basket-Case
• Will The Euro Go To 1.2350 against Greenback?

After the markets got their teeth into yesterday’s encouraging US retail sales figures, forex traders et al will be watching today to see if the United States can rise to the occasion for a seco »

Defying Gravity!

15/08/2012 11:47

• Is Greece Looking For A Loan Deferment?
• BoE Voted Unanimously To Keep Borrow Rate Unchanged
• UK Jobs Enjoy An ‘Olympic Effect’

Forex traders expecting a lively day from the euro zone have not been disappointed so far this morning. The Financial Times this morning is reporting that Greece is looking for a two year extension to »

Asia sees risk currencies in tight ranges to the downside

15/08/2012 09:39

• Broader Risk-Off Sentiment Dominates
• Asian Tiger Vulnerable To Unforeseen Events
• AUDUSD Scrabbles For Traction

Early-bird forex traders will have seen, once again, Asia consolidate the overnight currency moves, only this time in a downwards direction. As the euro slipped lower after the European trading sessio »

Editor’s Morning Forex Review: Special Reserve

15/08/2012 09:33

• We’re Off To See The Wizard
• Rehn And Scrimpy
• All Hail The Eternal Dollar

Forex traders saw yesterday’s session wrapped up with the words of EU Economic and Monetary Affairs Commissioner Olli Rehn. The European Union and European Central Bank stand ready to act on the »

Trading Stronger U.S. Data

14/08/2012 16:06

• A Curate’s Egg For Risk
• Heads And Tails
• USDJPY Rallying

Forex traders with an eye on stock benchmarks have seen indices adding to recent gains in early U.S. trading. Investors have taken kindly to a slew of relatively healthy data, easing concerns about th »

NZD/USD sky-dives to 0.8070

14/08/2012 15:00

ForexSpace.com (LONDON) - Having started the day with some decent advances during Asian trading, NZD/USD pair capitulated in the aftermath of better-than-expected Retail Sales figures from the United »

U.S. Data Lift The Gloom… For Now

14/08/2012 14:57

• Americans Buying Themselves Out Of Trouble
• EUR/USD Back Near 1.2325 Asia Lows
• Dollar/Yen At One-Month Session High

After a mixed bag of data this morning, notably confounding predications in the euro zone with better than forecast German indicators showing the EU’s economic powerhouse grew more than expected »

EUR/JPY retraces to 97.00

14/08/2012 14:23

ForexSpace.com (LONDON) - The EUR/JPY upside was capped at 97.32 after the German and French GDP data. The pair then went for a dive towards the 97.00 sentiment region as the euro zone’s outlook »

A Mixed Bag Of A Morning

14/08/2012 13:20

• Data Gets The Markets Moving
• Germany: Investor Confidence Declines
• Risk Currencies Looking Up

After yesterday’s sluggish start to the week, forex traders have seen plenty of activity today with the release of some key economic data. None perhaps more important that the July figure for U. »

UK CPI rises in July

14/08/2012 11:47

• Experts Taken By Surprise At Weak UK Data
• Pound And Euro Remain Locked In A Race To The Bottom
• BoE’s Dovish Stance Unlikely To Shift

Hard on the heels of this morning’s euro zone GDP figures, showing the single currency bloc’s second quarter growth contracted 0.2 percent, forex traders now have the chance to ponder the »

Editor’s Forex Morning Review: Starve An Olympic Fever - Feed A Realty Cold!

14/08/2012 09:33

• Back To The Real World
• Euro Zone: Another Day Of reckoning
• USDCHF Eyed

So… now that we no longer have to pretend we know what £9 billion-worth of repercharge might be, or the intricacies of scoring a yacht race, or who Jessie J apparently is (without fear of »

Chinese Yuan Down On Downbeat Trade Data

10/08/2012 12:24

• Yuan Hits 6.3600 Vs. Dollar
• Trade Data Disappoints
• Risk Sentiment Under Pressure

The Chinese yuan tumbled against the dollar late in Friday’s Asian session, in a move which broke its three-day winning streak. Concerns over the state of the Chinese economy were heightened by »

PPI Disappointment For GB

10/08/2012 10:42

• Pound Under Pressure
• PPI Disappoints Expectations
• Experst Advise Against European Equites

Today marks the last working day for the London Olympics, signalling the last chance saloon for would-be medalists across the globe. But while Olympic fever reaches a climax in the capital city ahead »

U.S. Recovery Back On Track?

09/08/2012 15:23

• U.S. Recovery Shows Promise
• Jobless Claims Down by 6k
• Trade Deficit Hits Record Low

On the fifth anniversary of a credit crisis that has brought some of the world’s largest economies to their knees, the U.S. has posted some promising signs of life. According to reports from th »

Bullish Oil Outlook; Buy In Dips – Commerzbank Analysts Advise

09/08/2012 13:04

• Chinese Stimulus Hopes Bolsters Prices
• Output Concerns Linger
• Bullish Outlook From Most Quarters

Oil prices maintained a steady flow up commodities charts Thursday, with market sentiment lifted by disappointing data from China, which raised hopes of further stimulus measures in the second largest »

DATA WEIGHS HEAVILY

09/08/2012 11:13

• UK Trade Deficit Widens
• Cable Stabilised
• Euro/Yen Takes A Tumble

Forex traders expecting a quieter morning on the data front today have just gotten a rude awakening! First up, figures just released by the UK Office for National Statistics (ONS) show Britain’s »

Soft Chinese Inflation Spurs On Risk Sentiment

09/08/2012 10:52

• Growth At Three-Year Low
• Experts Say Easing On The Cards
• Commodity Currencies Gain

Data out this morning concerning the state of the Chinese economy has cleared a path for further stimulus measures in the world’s second largest economy. Growth fell to a three-year low of 7.6 »

No Hip-Hooray For The ‘In The Red’ Letter Day!

09/08/2012 08:54

• Five Years On
• Crunch Time… And Then Some
• Keep On Truckin’, And Hang On To The Ice Bucket

Today marks exactly five years since the beginning of the credit crisis. But it’s unlikely that forex traders (or anyone else for that matter) will be popping the Champagne corks. The very datel »

Sterling Effort All Round

08/08/2012 14:35

• King For A Day
• Sterling Enjoys Its Lunch
• Further QE More Likely?

A three-day rally on world equity markets stalled today and the euro dipped as investors waited to ascertain the next moves by the world's major central banks to get to grips with declining global eco »

BoE: No Need To Rush

08/08/2012 12:23

• Sir Merv Swerves Again
• GBP/USD Remain Volatile
• Feel-Good Factor Fails To Flourish!

Set against a backdrop of today’s German industrial production figures which show an alarming drop of 0.9 percent in June from previous month, and Spanish industrial output falling during the sa »

Copper Bottoms After Earlier Rally

08/08/2012 11:59

• Copper Slips 0.70 Percent On Charts
• Investors Consider Easing Promise
• Gold Up – But How Long Investors Will Wait For Action?

Copper faltered on commodities charts Wednesday, dipping in the wake of a rally that pushed prices to one-week high. Three-month copper on the London Metal Exchange had slipped 0.79 percent to $7,520 »

Editor’s Morning Forex Review: How Low Can They Go?

08/08/2012 08:46

• The ‘Old Lady’ Lifts Her Skirts!
• Euro struggling above 1.24
• The AUD Eye's 2012 Highs

Yesterday’s markets finished on an almost tranquil day. At the US session’s closing bell, apart from the ‘little local difficulty’ surrounding Standard Chartered, forex traders »

Crude Oil - City Index Analysts Favour Long Positions

07/08/2012 16:56

ForexSpace.com (LONDON) - Crude oil notched up gains Tuesday with traders looking towards potential supply issues for direction. Light, sweet crude for delivery in September was up 0.8 percent on the »

Emerging Currencies Reap U.S. Jobs Rewards

07/08/2012 16:26

• Risk Appetite Feeds Emerging Markets
• Won Leads Monday Gains
• LatAm Currencies Bouyed By Domestic Factors

ForexSpace.com (LONDON) - Emerging-market currencies kicked off the week as some of the biggest winners, after they managed to cling on to gains made off the back of better-then-expected U.S. jobs dat »

Gold Boosted By ECB, Fed Optimism

07/08/2012 13:16

• Gold Up 0.1 Percent
• Investors Eye Promised ECB Action
• Citigroup Warns Over Dollar Dependent Gains

Gold prices rose further Tuesday, bolstered by investor optimism over European Central Bank plans to ease borrowing costs for Spain and Italy and deliver on a promise to “preserve the euro&rdquo »

Turning Japanese

07/08/2012 12:02

• Germany Stalling
• Italy Falling
• BoJ - Overhauling?

Hard on this morning’s heels showing that Britain’s manufacturing production fell less than expected in the month of June, data just out on German paints a less rosy picture. Forex traders »

Nomura Mister Nice Guy?!

07/08/2012 11:03

• The Knives Are Out!
• No Smoke Without Fire?
• Euro/dollar Tests The Psych Sych Level

Whilst the UK's top share index advanced today, looking set for its third straight day of gains on the coat-tails of the ECB’s plan that could see it move boldly in September to calm the euro zo »

UK Manufacturing Confounds Expectations; Concerns Linger

07/08/2012 10:04

• UK Manufacturing Production Falls 2.9 Percent
• Analyst Predictions Beaten 
• All Eyes On BoE

Data out Tuesday showed that manufacturing production in the U.K. fell less than expected in the month of June. The report from the Office for National Statistics said that production fell by a seaso »

Editor’s Morning Forex Review: Cyprus Sails Close To The Wind

07/08/2012 09:01

• A Chip Off The Bloc
• Cementing The Euro’s Future
• Medalling Through

Perhaps not featuring on forex traders’ radar screens so vividly as, say, Greece - nor indeed Spain or Italy et al - the small island nation of Cyprus is nonetheless symptomatic of the wider mal »

Dollar Gets Going… ish

06/08/2012 16:37

• The Long And Winding Road… To Econ Growth
• Bernanke – Just An Old-Fashioned Caring Kinda Guy
• Markets In Limbo

U.S. stock index futures edged up today as international creditors made progress following a visit to Greece, adding to last week's plans from the ECB to trim borrowing costs in Spain and Italy. Howev »

Gold Up On Q.E. Hopes

06/08/2012 13:23

• Gold Continues Climb Up Commodity Charts
• Bullion Up $20 Since Friday Open
• Commodities Broadly Up

Gold has had more than its fair share of international headlines over the past week. Having watched athletes collect gold medals aplenty, the precious metal is so ingrained in the consciousness of the »

Sterling Lower On Dovish BoE Expectations

06/08/2012 12:42

• BoE Trade-Weighted Index At 3-Week Low
• FTSE 100 4-Points Higher
• All Eyes On End-Of-Week Data

Following this morning’s GBP's drop against the euro, forex traders have seen a Bank of England squeeze on trade-weighted sterling index, sending it to 83.5, its lowest level since July 12. The »

Swissy Shines On Upbeat U.S. Data, Euro Zone Strife

06/08/2012 10:15

• Monday Sees Swissy Gains Extended
• U.S. Data Lifts Risk-Appetite
• Dollar Set To Deteriorate Further

The USD/CHF continue its ascent up currency charts Monday with bolstered risk appetite helping the Swissy to build gains made Friday. Positive jobs data showed that US employers hired the most worker »

Editor’s Morning Forex Review: Bring On The Risk

06/08/2012 08:48

• Euro Rallies
• Sterling Extends Gains
• EUR/USD Likely To Manage 1.2218

As markets last week spluttered exhaustedly to an end - like a marathon runner crossing the line after a particularly arduous 26 miles - fx  traders went into the weekend somewhat weak at the kne »

Oil Floats On U.S. Jobs Data

03/08/2012 16:28

• Oil On Course For Biggest Weekly Gains In Two Weeks
• Supply Issues Provide Support
• Outlook Remains Bearish

Following Friday’s shock U.S. NFP jobs data which showed 63k more Americans than expected found work in July, crude oil futures rose. The positive data buoyed investor hope about the prosp »

U.S. Labour Market Stabilises

03/08/2012 15:32

• Cue The main Course: A Curate’s Egg!
• Addicted To The Sniff Of Money Printing
• A Small Helping Of Risk-Appetite 

UK stocks surged this afternoon as mixed U.S. non-farm payrolls lifted expectations of more stimulus action from the Federal Reserve. The data showed the world’s powerhouse economy created 163,0 »

Gold Prices Buoyed By NFP Concern

03/08/2012 12:41

• Investors Anticipate Downbeat Data
• Gold Up 0.3 Percent
• Commodities Still On Shaky Ground

Gold prices were bolstered Friday morning, as speculation over weaker-than-expected U.S. non-farm payrolls jobs data began dominating markets. The initial expectation for 100k jobs to be added has wa »

U.S. Non-Farms In The Frame

03/08/2012 11:56

• All Eyes On The FOMC
• Greenback Expected To Strengthen
• That Was A Week That Was!

While forex traders wait to see if rumours gaining traction across the markets that the Spanish government is going to have an unscheduled press conference in which the crushingly indebted nation will »

NFP Jobs Data: What Can We Expect?

03/08/2012 10:18

• Jobs Data Weighs On QE Hopes
• Analysts Bullish On Greenback
• How To Trade The Data

Forex traders and brokers may still be reeling from the events of Not-So-Super Thursday, with Draghi disappointing expectant markets who were preparing for a round of ECB easing action. But today wil »

Editor’s Morning Forex Review: Draghi Fails To Unleash His Big Bazooka !

03/08/2012 09:03

• Draghi Dragged It Out
• Euro Weakness To Persist?
• EZ: Where To From Here?

‘Tsch,’ tutted a woman close to me as Mario Draghi’s press conference fizzled flaccidly to a close: ‘typical of a man; promised us a good time, and then couldn’t get it u »

ECB Disappoints – But “What Matters Is Tomorrow”, Say Analysts

02/08/2012 15:47

• No ECB Measure To Take Immediate Effect
• Stock Markets Sink
• Future Impact More Telling

Forex traders feverishly trying to digest the past few hours are now seeing trading has been suspended on some Italian bank stocks following the heavy sell-off. The euro is coming under ever more pres »

So… Where’s The Beef?

02/08/2012 15:42

• Draghi Fails To Make Our Day
• Never The Twain!
• Clear As Mud

Well, it was Mario’s big moment – and he blew it! Or rather, given the build-up, almost entirely engendered from his own rhetoric last week in London that the ECB would do "whatever it tak »

Sterling Holds Steady

02/08/2012 12:42

• Merv Swerves
• BoE – No Change
• Next Up – ECB

The Bank of England has left the lending benchmark at 0.5 percent and held the Asset Purchase Programme at £375 billion. Forex traders will not be surprised, as this was pretty in line with mark »

AUD/USD To Face Tough Resistance

02/08/2012 12:13

• More Upbeat Aussie Data
• Resistance Set At 1.0583
• RBA Rate Cut In The Balance

Pushing on with its seemingly irrepressible winning streak, Australia reported a 1 percent rise in monthly retail sales figures Thursday.  Despite a minor dip on currency charts after disappoint »

USD/JPY Holds Gains Ahead Of ECB Decision

02/08/2012 10:53

• Greenback Stands Firm
• Risk Sentiment In The Balance
• Draghi Under The Spotlight

After notching up small gains against the yen Wednesday, the USD stood firm after the Fed. announced it would be holding back easing measures. The next FOMC meeting on the 31 August will now be doubl »

Editor’s Morning Forex Review: Crunch Time For The Euro

02/08/2012 09:43

• Big Ben Passes The Baton
• Euro Back Under The Cosh
• Bazooka At The Ready?

Let’s not kid ourselves; as forex traders will need no reminding, we are in a period of just two and half days - a confluence comprising two of the most important central bank meetings in a very »

Tenterhooks And Tentative Traders

01/08/2012 17:37

• Let’s Keep The party Going!
• Euro/dollar Eases But Remains Flat
• Beware The Runaway Train

U.S. stocks have opened higher today, buoyed by official figures showing the domestic labour market did better than predicted. Forex traders will also be aware of the mood of expectation surrounding t »

Turning Japanese

01/08/2012 15:57

• Thank You For Your Appreciation
• BoJ Intervention Arguments
• Hail The Weakening Yen – NOT!

Japanese FinMin Jun Azumi has shrugged off calls for the Bank of Japan to buy foreign bonds to help weaken the yen, insisting that any such action would breach the finance ministry's jurisdiction on e »

Gold Rally Loses Steam Ahead of Fed, ECB Decisions

01/08/2012 13:24

• Gold Loses Momentum
• Fed. Action In Serious Doubt
• ECB Intervention Rattles Investors

On the day when Britain manageD to garner its very first disc of the yellow stuff, gold halted its rally up commodities charts. The break in the precious metal’s ascent up charts began Tuesday a »

Sterling Feels The Heat

01/08/2012 12:29

• One Of THOSE Mornings!
• PMI Disappoints Across The Board
• All Eye Fixed Across The Pond

It’s already turning into another one of ‘those mornings’. Forex traders (awaiting the Fed and ECB for an indication of any price action) will have been distracted by news that manuf »

Risk-Appetite Buoys Aussie

01/08/2012 10:58

• AUD August Forecast Bullish
• Aussie Touches Record High Vs. EUR
• Aussie Attributes Shine Despite Commodity Dips

Buoyed by a revival of risk appetite, the Aussie looks set to improve on its July performance with bullish forecasts and unfavourable global conditions directing sentiment. Traditionally understood t »

Editor’s Morning Forex Review: Gore Blimey!

01/08/2012 09:57

• Draghi’s Drag On The Markets    
• Waiting For Direction From Central Bankers   
• USDJPY - One To Watch 

Yesterday’s European session spluttered to a close with the Greek Deputy FinMin’s warning words ringing in forex traders’ ears. Greece, said Christos Staikouras, is near-bankrupt and »

Analysts Speculate Over “Super Thursday”

31/07/2012 17:35

• All Eyes On FOMC Meet
• Will Mario Be Up To ‘Super Thursday’?
• Further “Verbal Intervention” At The Least

Tuesday marked the beginning of a two-day meeting of the FOMC; a stand-out event for traders in need of trading cues this week. But the upcoming week holds more in the way of major economic calendar e »

U.S. Today

31/07/2012 16:24

• Consumer Spending Flat-lining
• Joblessness Stagnant
• Obama Pushing String

Stock markets in America have opened flat, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average down 0.2 percent at 13,047.43, while the broader S&P 500 is a veritable pancake at 1,384.97. Latest figures from the Un »

JPY Summer Highs Eyed With Caution

31/07/2012 15:00

• Yen Down On Risk Sentiment
• Yen Summer Ascent On Horizon?
• FinMin Azumi Warns Over Action

The yen took a dive against most of its major peers Tuesday, with the likes of the dollar also dropping off the back of an upturn of risk appetite. Against the AUD, the yen slipped to 82.44 for the f »

Europe: 2.25 million jobs lost since April 2011

31/07/2012 14:30

• Nice Work If You Can Get It
• Greece: Going For Broke
• ‘Incalculable Risks Ahead’

European stock markets have been on the rise during morning trade as investors geared themselves up for tomorrow’s FOMC policy announcement. Forex traders have seen the German DAX 30 (+0.20 perc »

The Morning’s Data Run

31/07/2012 13:02

• Up, Down And Sideways
• Obama And Co
• All Hands To The Engine Room

Forex traders saw sterling yesterday make a decent start to the week in light of rating agency S&P’s announcement that the UK will keep its AAA rating agency. This sliver of good news – de »

Now Let The Neins Begin!

27/07/2012 13:41

• Hells Bells!
• Cold Shower
• Time Draghi’s On

Glory Be! Forex traders were among the millions of Londoners who awoke this morning to the massed peel of thousands of bells ringing out across the capital. Indeed, as the entire UK resonated to the c »

Going For Gold!

27/07/2012 12:39

• Gold Strikes Out Above $1,600 Level
• Strong Stocks Allow Consolidation
• Eyes On U.S. GDP

Gold held onto gains made off the back of yesterday’s rally as Friday trading opened, with the precious medal – or rather, metal (!) - standing just above the $1,600 mark on commodities ch »

Investors Need ECB Action Not Words, Says Top Analyst

27/07/2012 11:18

• Unemployment At Almost 25 Percent
• Third Of Euro Zone Jobless In Spain
• Analysts Call For Action From ECB 

Unemployment in Spain reached almost 25 percent throughout the course of the second quarter, from 24.44 percent in the previous quarter. According to the National Statistic Institute, the jobless rat »

Editor’s Morning Forex Review: Let The Games Begin!

27/07/2012 10:17

• Super Mario To The Rescue!
• ECB - SOS!
• Risk Still Lurks Around The Corner!

What a difference a day - and a few carefully coded words - makes. Forex traders have been as amazed as anyone at the sight of the world’s stock markets registering an eye-popping overnight rall »

Swissy “Swing” On The Horizon?

26/07/2012 18:07

• CHF Floor Back In Question
• CHF/USD Off 19-Month Low
• Analysts Raise The Alarm

The Swiss franc came back under pressure Thursday with the global slowdown and ongoing euro zone crisis threatening to drive investors towards the safer CHF. “EUR/CHF remains within a tight ran »

Crude Oil Climbs On Draghi Determination

26/07/2012 16:40

• Crude Futures Up 1.1 Percent
• Dollar Dives
• Analysts Question Long-Term Implications

Crude oil futures leaped up commodities charts Thursday following upbeat comments from European Central Bank President Mario Draghi and a round of positive jobless claims data in the U.S. Light sweet »

Draghi Co-Efficient

26/07/2012 16:36

• Euro/dollar Thrown A Bone
• Rally Cross
• Spanish Bonds Get A Breather

Mario Draghi has been speaking today in London, mostly reaffirming his confidence in the euro, which – as forex traders quickly saw – provided the shared currency a bunk-up to its weekly h »

Metals Steady After Wednesday Rally

26/07/2012 12:00

• Copper Down 0.15 Percent
• China Provides Promise
• Gold Rally Short-Lived?

A number of metals closed higher Wednesday after revived euro sentiment prompted short covering which left copper, nickel and silver up by 1 percent at close. But the action on commodities charts prov »

Editor’s Morning Forex Review: Nowotny and wot-not

26/07/2012 09:40

• Just Buy The Dip
• Risk Still In The Frame
• U.S. QE Eyed Next Week

The scenario seen by forex traders by way of this week’s outlook anticipated follow-through selling of foreign currencies at the start of the week before corrective pressures emerged come yester »

U.S. Hit By More Dismal Data; Homes And Energy

25/07/2012 17:31

• Home Sales Down 8.4 Percent
• U.S. Recovery Looking Shaky?
• Crude Oil Stockpile Soar

Dismal house sales figures have now emerged from the U.S., rounding off a day of thoroughly disappointing data. The sales figures have extinguished the faith many had placed in the U.S. housing m »

No No Nowotny

25/07/2012 17:16

• Euro Enjoys A Short-Lived Fillip
• $1.20 Still Beckons
• Pass The Parcel

Forex traders saw the euro rally against most major currencies today, picking itself up from a two-year low against the U.S. dollar following comments from a European Central Bank policymaker Ewald No »

UK – Didn’t See THAT coming!

25/07/2012 15:28

• ONS Springs Unpleasant Surprise
• Data: Handle With Care
• Dollar Strength Still Eyed

There may well have been a moment of breathing space this morning for forex traders tired of the euro zone crisis in the wake of rubbish UK data. Nonetheless, Spain and Greece are still very much loom »

Commodities: Crude Drops Ahead Of US Inventory Data

25/07/2012 13:09

• Oil Price Down On Surplus Fears
• All Eyes On The EIA Report 14:30
• Chinese Data Provided Temporary Respite

Crude oil prices suffered a knock-back on commodities charts early Wednesday as nervous investors anticipated an announcement from the U.S. oil inventory later in the day. An overnight report from a U »

UK GDP… OMG!

25/07/2012 12:40

• Shock Data
• Third Quarter Of No Growth
• Sterling Winded 

Shocking news this morning has sent the wires buzzing and economists, forex traders and just about everybody else reaching for their passports. Yes, an 11 year old British boy has managed to board a p »

EUR/GBP Up On Downbeat UK GDP

25/07/2012 11:50

ForexSpace (LONDON) - The GBP has taken a tumble against the EUR on currency charts, on the revelation that the UK economy contracted 0.7 percent in Q2. The annualised figure now points towards -0.8 p »

Stormy Weather Ahead For UK GDP

25/07/2012 10:15

• Analysts Expect Disappointing Q3 GDP
• IMF Warning Dominates Sentiment
• Businesses And Consumers Lack Faith

The UK may be basking in the rays of the lesser-spotted British summer sun, but the economic climate is looking gloomier than ever. Today’s GDP release for Q2 looks set to confirm that the UK ec »

Editor’s Morning Forex Review: Red Letter Day

25/07/2012 09:54

• Fed Eyed Once Again For QE3
• The Troika Takes Stock
• Risk Aversion Still Reigns

It doesn’t take long when chatting to forex traders to know the foreign exchange market is in a febrile state these days. Nonetheless, the majors were mostly trading within Monday's ranges, when »

Investors Hungary For The Forint

24/07/2012 18:07

• Forint Up 0.05 Percent Vs. EUR
• Hawkish Tone Surprises Analysts
• Rate Cut Still Expected

The Hungarian forint has spent the afternoon ascending currency charts, with haven-hungry investors drawn by the central bank’s decision to leave benchmark lending rates unchanged. The decision »

Heading For The Spexit?

24/07/2012 17:52

• Anaemia Sets In
• PMIs… My Oh My
• Germany: Fault Lines Beginning To Show

Despite the rise of Chinese PMI to 49.5 early doors, (still in the contraction zone) from 48.2 in June, prospects for the euro zone continue to appear very bleak indeed. Forex traders looking for some »

EUR/USD Regains Ground

24/07/2012 16:22

ForexSpace.com (LONDON) – The EUR/USD is retracing losses to rest around the 1.2000/2100 level, recovering slightly from the two-year low hit yesterday. Analysts suggest that the weaker-than-ex »

Mad For The Loonie

24/07/2012 14:11

• Expected Retail Sales Growth: 0.3 Percent
• USD/CAD Continues Its Advance
• Investors Flock To Safer Loonie

The next round of economic data – featuring the all-important retail sales – from Canada is due out at 12:30GMT and thus far, market chatter suggests investors could be in for a pleasant s »

Editor’s Morning Forex Review: All Hands To The Slump

24/07/2012 09:46

• Hobbling Bulls
• European Stocks On The Ropes
• Euro Under Cosh v Major Rivals

We woke up this morning to the news that Moody’s has warned the ratings outlook for triple-A Germany, Luxembourg and the Netherlands has been downgraded from stable to negative because the threa »

Kiwi Struggles On Spanish Scare; Reverses Greenback Rally

23/07/2012 16:56

• Kiwi Reverses Some Chart Gains
• Spanish Scare Threaten Global Future
• Rate Cut In The Pipeline?

Last week’s kiwi ascent up live currency charts was met with a sharp reversal Monday, with the NZD/USD knocked back to 0.7900 as panic over Spanish debt spread. Despite the best efforts of the e »

No wane for Spain’s pain

23/07/2012 16:52

• Euro Losses Continue
• Short Selling Ban Extended
• Flight To Safe Havens

It just got worse for Spain. The country’s longer-term bond yields have traded at euro-era highs this morning, soaring to 7.57 percent for a period. Forex traders I’ve been in contact with »

Business As Usual

23/07/2012 12:55

• EUR Slide Continues
• Euro v Dollar Sees $1.1875  Event Horizon
• Tsipras Adds Fuel To The Fire

Further damaging headlines for the single currency bloc over the weekend ensured the euro kick the week off on an even sicklier fashion than Friday night’s close. Forex traders should expect the »

U.S. Q2 Expectations Downbeat

23/07/2012 11:52

• Downbeat Data Lowers  Expectation
• Estimates At 1.3 Percent
• Fiscal Cliff Knocks Confidence

After another week of disappointing U.S. data and precious little clue that any substantial easing strategies are in the pipeline, USD investors will be forgiven for entering the week with a furrowed »

Editor’s Morning Forex Review: Are The Wheels Coming Off?

23/07/2012 10:23

• Wiggins Wins Prettily
• Euro Wins The ‘Ugly Contest’
• No Relief In Sight

As the week heralding this coming Friday’s Olympic opening ceremony gets underway, the sports-minded forex traders and market watchers among us - especially those of UK origin - will be feeling »

Gold Eases; Still On Track For Weekly Gain

20/07/2012 16:24

• XAU Eases On Spain Nerves
• No Easing In The Offing
• Gold Council Optimistic

Gold took a step back on commodities charts Friday, with a more tentative tone dominating sentiment amongst traders. Supressed risk appetite saw the EUR ease slightly, with stock markets following su »

Spanish Aid Set For Rubber Stamp

20/07/2012 11:19

• Finland Adds Approval
• Euro Pares Some Losses; Little Movement Expected
• Spanish Yields Betray Nerves

With the plan for a Spanish aid package now garnering approval from countries across the euro zone – crucially, Germany and Finland have now signed on the dotted line – the mood around the »

US Jobless Claims Disappoint The Markets

19/07/2012 15:51

• Weekly Report Shows 10pc Increase
• USD Holds Gains Vs. EUR
• Gold Suffers On Lacklustre Data

The number of Americans seeking unemployment benefits surged unexpectedly by almost 10 percent last week, following three weeks of declines. America’s Labour Department reported 386,000 initial »

UK Retail Sales Proves A Washout

19/07/2012 13:27

• Retails Sales Up 0.1pc From May
• Wet Weather Takes Blame
• Eyes On US

Alongside superficially positive jobs data which saw the headline unemployment rate fall to 8.1 percent this morning, the UK has now served up a less satisfactory helping of retail sales data. A repo »

Trends In Lending Sends No One Spending

19/07/2012 13:22

• SMEs Hungry For Access To Credit
• CBI Weighs In
• Calls For Liquidity Buffers 

Forex traders have seen cable extending southwards from 1.5695 this morning after soft UK June retail sales data. Euro/sterling also registered a reaction, holding around 0.7845, with a printed high a »

Party On, Jobseekers!

19/07/2012 12:42

• Employment Down; Claimant Count Up
• Data Skewed By Government Schemes? 
• Retail Sales Data Eyed

With just eight days left before London turns into a vision of hell on earth, ringing with the sound of tannoy-announced tube delays …I mean, an Olympic-tastic party central…all eyes are »

Spanish Bond Bombshell

19/07/2012 12:16

• Bond Auction Blow
• 7 Perecnt Threshold Breached
• EurYen Stabilizes At 96.50

In the wake of Spain’s bond auction casting gloom over the markets, forex traders eyeing their live currency screens have seen the euro ticking a few pips above today’s lows in the 1.2260 »

German Bond-Buying Sends Aussie Flying

19/07/2012 10:58

• AUD/EUR At 11-Week High
• Capital Inflows Maintain Strength
• Top Forex Broker Forecasts Further Gains 

The Australian dollar hit 11-week highs against the euro today, receiving a marked boost from the risk-on sentiment prevailing in markets. Positive price action on commodities charts and the news tha »

Editor’s Morning Forex Review: (Not so) nice ‘n’ Eee-Zee does it!

19/07/2012 10:15

• IMF Says Eurozone In ‘Critical Danger’
• ‘ECB should launch QE’
• Merkel Says ‘Boo’ To The Euro

Yesterday provided forex traders and everyone else with yet more signs of concern in the bond markets, where Spanish 10-year yields have climbed back to 6.94 percent, rising 11 basis points from 6.83 »

Automated Trading Goes Ninja At FXCM

18/07/2012 16:28

• Ninjatrader Software Offers Education And High Performance
• Automated Trading Takes The Lead
• Brendan Callan Gets (Un)Emotional

Foreign exchange trading giant FXCM today announced the addition of the NinjaTrader platform to its catalogue of client offerings. The company said this latest platform will offer traders the chance t »

Debt Reins In Spain

18/07/2012 15:51

• Bad Loans Abound
• Euro Back Under The Cosh
• Assisted Austericide

Data emanating out of the Bank of Spain today indicates how bad loans associated with the country’s banks rose to 8.95 percent of their outstanding portfolios in May. Savvy forex traders will ha »

Deutsche Bank Up The Stakes In The FX “Arms Race”

18/07/2012 14:30

• New Autobahn Platform Launches Today
• Bank Set Sights On Trading EUR1 trn A Week
• First ‘App-Based’ Client Offering

In the race to create a new generation of foreign exchange trading platforms, Deutsche Bank has made a move ahead of the competition today with the release of its latest Autobahn platform. New functi »

‘Perfect Storm’ Still On The Way, Says Dr Doom

18/07/2012 11:34

• Prof Nouriel Roubini Stands By His Forecast For 2012
• China, U.S. And Euro Zone Top Concerns
• Dr Doom View On Fed Intervention

The global economy is still on track for a “the perfect storm” in 2013, according to the man who predicted the 2007/8 credit crunch and ensuing financial meltdown, New York University Prof »

Ben throws no QE3 bone

18/07/2012 10:01

• EuroDollar Rebounds Off Of The Floor
• Bernanke To politicians: Over To You
• Fiscal Cliff In Sight

Yesterday’s main event featured Federal Reserve Chairman, Ben Bernanke. Delivering a prepared testimony to the Senate Banking Committee, Big Ben said the U.S. economy had slowed significantly in »

Downbeat Bernanke Delivers Little QE Promise

17/07/2012 18:19

• Fed Chairman Downbeat About US Recovery
• Investors Uncertain Over Easing Bias
• Dollar Up On QE Delay

The greenback nudged higher against a number of major peers Tuesday in the wake of Ben Bernanke’s restrained testimony to Congress. The Fed Chairman – despite outlining several options whi »

“Gold Is Being Oversold” Warns Top Investor Marc Faber

17/07/2012 16:00

• Gold Seen Pushing $1600
• Markets Price In Further QE
• Faber Forecasts Disappointment

Gold prices threatened to break above the $1600 level on commodities charts Tuesday morning, after the yellow brick reached $1598 per ounce early in London’s morning session. Its move up the cha »

Heat and Dust

17/07/2012 13:28

• Corn Hits Record High
• Cattle Prospects Cause Concern
• Bernanke Eyed For Easing Bias

As forex traders the world over fix their gaze on Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke for his two-day testimony to Congress, the vast majority of his fellow Americans swelter under the worst drought conditions »

A day of hissy fits and wishful thinking!

17/07/2012 12:40

• Sir Mervyn In Front Of MPs
• Big Ben Testifies To The Senate
• Forex Traders Eye The Chance To Sell Euros Above $1.2300

As we watch the slow motion car crash presented by LIBOR-gate, another sideshow will surely divert forex traders’ attention this afternoon by way of fed boss Ben Bernanke’s two-day testimo »

Downside Risks Continue to Weigh

17/07/2012 11:55

• Bernanke On The Hill
• QE Back In The Frame
• Eyes On Asia

Forex traders along with a lot of other folks will be studying both the words and body language of Ben Bernanke later this afternoon as he delivers his Senate Testimony. Above all, the boss of the Un »

“Downward Spiral” On Horizon For Spain, Warns Top Forex Broker

17/07/2012 11:42

• IMF: Spain Will Miss Targets
• Spain To Mirror Greece?
• Euro Stronger Against Greenback

Spain is in for yet more tough times ahead, according to a report released Monday by the International Monetary Fund (IMF). The euro zone nation is expected to miss its deficit and debt targets this y »

IM-Facing Up To The Fiscal Cliff

17/07/2012 10:06

• IMF - Delivering A Downer
• Dismal - And Then More So
• Stall Before The Dive? 

In cutting its 2013 global growth forecast, the IMF - aka the world’s lender of last resort - didn’t spring any surprises on forex traders, markets aficionados and economics experts when i »

2012 And All That

16/07/2012 15:27

• EURO/USD Rally Runs Out Of Steam
• Euro/Sterling Still Breaking Records
• Pre-Show Jitters

In London this morning, as the first athletes and officials began turning up for the Olympics, forex traders have been twiddling their thumbs somewhat in quiet trading. Along with London 2012, positiv »

German Backing For Spanish Aid Deal Wavers

16/07/2012 12:59

• German Constitutional Curt Delay Injunction
• Euro Leaders To Sign Friday
• Bundestag Vote Eyed Thursday

One stand-out event to watch on economic calendars this week is the Eurogroup meeting Friday, where euro zone leaders are due to pledge their allegiance to a plan to bail out Spain’s ailing bank »

A Risk-Off Week

16/07/2012 12:32

• Lagarde ‘Tilted To The Downside’
• EZ Inflation Up
• Doldrums Dominate

As forex traders and others await what is expected to be a downbeat prognosis from the International Monetary Fund this afternoon, the quarterly assessment, according to most experts, will see the IMF »

Sterling Job

16/07/2012 12:11

• Funding For Lending
• GBP Rally
• Greenback Ready To Buck?

Going into the weekend, live currency charts indicated that sterling got a bit of a jog-on as details emerged of the "funding for lending" scheme that the Bank of England announced previously together »

Forex Markets Unsure Over Bernanke Easing Bias

16/07/2012 11:12

• Bernanke Testimony Eyed
• Traders Hanker For Policy Clues
• Markets Subdued Ahead Of Key Events

After an uncertain end of the week for data, a testimony from Fed Chairman Ben Bernake will be highlighted on economic calendars this week. Forex markets were left hungry for clarity on the state »

Editor’s Morning Forex Review: The Great Wall-Papering Over the Cracks Of China

16/07/2012 10:03

• Happy Monday!
• Euro Still Getting Spanked!
• China: Handle With care!

As the Friday just gone gave way to the weekend, there was little activity for forex traders to get their teeth into following yet more dubious data emanating from China. The euro touched a new local »

Commodities: Gold Garners Another Week Of Losses

13/07/2012 14:22

• Chinese Data Causes Minor Retracement
• Pessimistic Outlook For Downward Trend
• Gold Bugs Eye Bernanke Testimony

This week has witnessed the steady decline of gold futures on commodities charts, but gold bulls have pushed the yellow brick slightly higher this morning. The slight increase from 1567 at Thursday&r »

Analysts Warn Over Illusory EZ Data

13/07/2012 13:00

• EZ Production Data Surprises Markets
• Analysts Warn Over ‘Underlying Weakness’
• June PMI Data Casts Dark Shadow

The unveiling of euro zone industrial production data yesterday revealed a sunnier picture than many analysts were expecting. Industrial production moved sharply higher in May, increasing by 0.6 perce »

It’s Friday the 13 – What Were You Expecting!

13/07/2012 12:10

• Euro Extends Losses
• Italy On The Brink
• China Growth Goes Slow

Friday the thirteenth certainly dawned with all the portent that such a doom-laden date is imbued. Forex traders, already on edge as their live currency charts registered both sterling and the euro un »

Winning With The FX-Factor!

13/07/2012 10:15

• Service Industry
• Sport Needn’t Be Taxing
• Bolt Guns Against The Revenue

With exactly two weeks to go before the opening ceremony of the 2012 Summer Olympic Games, officially the Games of the XXX Olympiad, the best athletes on the planet are eagerly making their way throug »

Oiling The Wheels

12/07/2012 14:03

• Over A Barrel
• OPEC Concerns
• China Growth Factor

Crude oil futures traded tentatively early Thursday, with investors collectively holding their breath for the release of Chinese growth data due out tomorrow. The data is expected to show a worsening »

Spanish Flies Undone

12/07/2012 13:41

• Spain In The Frame
• No Joy For Rajoy
• One-In-Ten

Yesterday, for the first time in over three and a half years, forex traders saw GBP/EUR make an attempt to test the key level of 1.27. “If 1.27 does tumble then we could see 1.30 come back into »

Fed Up: Investors Disappointed By Lack Of QE Promise

12/07/2012 11:27

• June FOMC Minutes Deflate Investors
• Dollar Soars Against USD
• Analysts Downbeat About QE Prospects

Yesterday’s FOMC minutes may have revealed that the Fed. is open to implementing further easing measures, but forex traders remain unconvinced that action is on the way. The minutes showed that »

Editor’s Morning Forex Review: Whither The Olympic Effect?

12/07/2012 09:55

• A Marathon Effort For Sterling
• The ‘Wallflower’ Of FX
• Gold Overrated?

Forex traders will be pondering the recent proclamations by Goldman Sachs who foresee Team GB finishing in third place overall at the London 2012 Olympic Games by snaffling up no fewer than 30 gold me »

JPY Strength Battering Exporters; BoJ Holds Sway

11/07/2012 17:40

• JPY Finds New Strength Against USD
• Exporters In Pain
• All Eyes On Fed Friday

The Japanese yen has made moves higher against a number of its major peers, including both the USD and the EUR. Its ascent up live forex charts has been attributed, at least in part, on suspicions tha »

U.S. Fed On The Radar

11/07/2012 16:47

• Hope Flies On The Wings Of Doves
• Reading The FOMC Runes
• Let’s TWIST Again

Forex traders this afternoon saw the USD trading lower versus the JPY and after losing 25 pips in the European morning. In today’s session, dollar/yen has been testing the 79.10 level, (June 28 »

Spain’s Pain Back In The Frame

11/07/2012 13:19

• Bullish in Madrid
• Muddling Through
• Bond Yields And Bunga Bunga

Forex traders with one eye on their live currency charts have seen this morning’s stock markets remain pretty flat. While the FTSE 100 in London is down 0.2 percent, at 5,653.77, Spain’s I »

LatAm Currencies Still Vulnerable Despite Modest Gains

11/07/2012 12:03

• MXN Makes Early Gains On Europe Positivity
• LatAm Nations Dependent On Portfolio Flows
• Chilean Peso In Upward Trend

A general unease pervades the FX and credit markets. The risk-reward calculus makes it difficult to invest in Latin American currencies, with concern rife that external factors which could have a »

Editor’s Morning Forex Review: Not Waving, But Flagging

11/07/2012 10:14

• Blame It All On Madge!
• Hip-Hip, No Way!
• On Your Marks, Get Set... Bounce!

At yesterday’s closing bell in London forex traders cautiously eying the situation in Spain, saw the struggling country’s 10-year bond yields fall 24.8 basis points to 6.7 percent, while I »

A Touch Of The Aussie Wobbles

10/07/2012 18:04

• Aussie Knocked Back By China
• China “Well Placed” For More Easing
• AUDUSD/Dow Correlation Comes To The Fore  

The Australian dollar regained a bit of ground late Tuesday afternoon, rebuilding its position after it took a tumble on weak Chinese trade data. June data for the BRIC nation revealed unexpected wea »

Time Draghis On

10/07/2012 17:52

• Euro Remains Range Bound 
• "Disquiet Among Major Investors"
• EU Leaders Battle On

Forex traders studying their live screens have seen the currency market getting off to a fairly quiet start so far this week. Major pairs are trading in narrow ranges, with eurodollar pulled back to t »

Gold Dips On Commodities Charts; Silver Lining In Sight?

10/07/2012 15:18

• Gold Lingers Around 1583
• Outlook Negative For Q3
• Industrial Silver On The Up?

Gold suffered a further body blow Tuesday, as global markets continue to struggle amid growing concern over the ability of euro zone leaders to thrash out a workable plan to salvage the monetary zone. »

Editor’s Morning Forex Review: Last Action Zero

10/07/2012 14:04

• All Hail To The Zero
• Many Happy Returns
• Time To Take Out The Trash

A week ago, in between scrutinising our live currency screens, we saw the European Central Bank take a leaf out of Arnie Schwarzenegger’s book by way of making their last action a zero. The ECB »

Bish-Bash-Bosh

09/07/2012 17:07

• Bob-No-Job
• Banking In The Balance
• Occupational Hazard

Amid the mid-morning musings of this moderately maudlin Monday, a communique from the esteemed Simon Denham, MD of Capital Spreads, has diverted my attention from the live currency screens and instead »

Swissy Takes A Dip; Top Forex Brokers Question Cap

09/07/2012 16:58

• CHF Moves Slightly Lower
• UBS Economists Consider The Cap
• SNB Stands Strong…For Now

Monday saw the Swiss franc fall to a new low against the dollar, as worries about struggling global growth took a toll on trader confidence in the euro zone area. Since last September, the CHF has la »

Gold Up On Damp EU Meeting Hopes

09/07/2012 13:28

• August Gold Futures Up 0.3 Percent
• Global Business Confidence Drops
• Gold Bugs On Lookout For Easing Clues

Gold futures are up ahead of a meeting of euro zone leaders, which it is hoped will make progress towards helping the region’s indebted nations and crippled banking systems. A marked lack of fa »

Capital Outflows As Sentiment Takes Another Knock

09/07/2012 11:58

• Investors Take Flight…
• Spain In For A Fright…
• Bunds Squaring For A Fight!

As we prepare ourselves for the twists and turns of another week weathering the forex markets, an early prediction from some top economists is already causing concern. Investors continue to receive h »

Editor’s Morning Forex Review: We’re all feeling well and truly Rogered this morning!

09/07/2012 10:24

• Anyone For The Euro?
• Spanish 10-Yr Yields Heading Skywards?
• Event Horizon Unlikely To Lift Sentiment?

It would be a very hard-hearted person indeed - even the hardest-bitten of forex traders - not to have been moved by the outcome of yesterday’s Wimbledon men’s tennis final. Andy Murray&rs »

A Place In The Merde

06/07/2012 16:21

• Hollande Hikes Tax Rates
• Holiday Home Market To Be Hit
• GBP/EUR To Weaken Further

Currencies experts are warning that Francois Hollande’s decision to increase capital gains taxes and the tax on rental income threatens to stop the gathering pace of the GBP/EUR in its tracks. »

U.S. Non-Farm Payrolls

06/07/2012 15:32

• U.S. Workforce Data ‘Indifferent’.
• Euro At Three-and-a-Half-Year Low Vs GBP.
• USDJPY Ichimoku Cloud To Be Tested?

Forex traders anxiously-awaiting the non-farm payrolls data have just seen the U.S. work force added 80,000 jobs in June. The Labor Department also says the unemployment rate remains unchanged at 8.2 »

Gold Nudges Lower On NFP Optimism

06/07/2012 14:19

• Gold Nudges Lower
• Optimism Building Over NFPs?
• Dollar Strengthens

Gold prices began losing shine ahead of the nonfarm payrolls data Friday, despite being on track for its second straight week of gains. Investors will be watching the data for an indication of the he »

Editor’s Morning Forex Review: Up, Down and Sideways

06/07/2012 11:00

• Monti Fesses Up!
• China: What’s Going Down?
• Non-Farms Off To The Side

After yesterday’s breathless lunchtime surge of economic data, with volatility to match, forex traders digesting the slew of Central Bank detail pounded the euro down 1.1 percent to USD 1.238/Eu »

Downbeat Draghi On A "Monetary Union Made To Last"

05/07/2012 15:34

• "Economic Growth Remains Weak"
• Effective, Rigorous And Independent
• "Monetary Union Made To Last"

Mario Draghi remained downbeat about the prospect of euro area recovery in the press conference which followed the European Central Bank’s announcement of its key interest rate from 1 percent to »

ECB – Who Cuts First Wins!

05/07/2012 14:36

• ECB Cuts Rates.
• Euro Plummets Against USD.
• Questions For Draghi.

Following hard on the heels of the unsurprising Bank of England news and rather more unexpected move by the People’s Bank of China, the ECB has just announced a cut in its the deposit rate to 0 »

China Crisis!

05/07/2012 14:31

• BPOC Springs A Surprise.
• Cash Flooding In.
• Beijing Calls The Shots.

In contrast to the Bank of England action today, which surprised no one, (certainly not clued-up forex traders) what has raised the eyebrows of those of us pouring over our live currency screens is th »

Gold Suspends Climb Ahead Of ECB Rates, US Data

05/07/2012 13:35

• Gold Pauses On Investor Uncertainty
• BoE Announces No Change; Augments Purchase Orders
• Gold Bugs Seek QE Hints

With markets poised for a European Central Bank (ECB) cut which could deliver renewed growth to the euro zone and beyond, speculators having been retreating from their buy/sell buttons. Copper, gold a »

BoE - No Surprises

05/07/2012 13:28

• GBP Knee-Jerks.
• MPC: Carrying On As Normal.
• More QE.

Forex traders have seen sterling register a knee-jerk rise to 1.5608 as shorts squared after the Bank of England said it would maintain the UK base rate at its historical low of 0.5 percent, where it »

Rates And Measures

05/07/2012 12:17

• ECB Is Key.
• BoE Priced In.
• Spain Again.

Following yesterday’s market doldrums in which forex traders found themselves, becalmed in the lee of the American Independence Day holiday, we’ll have plenty to sink our teeth into today. »

Sentiment Wanes As Diamond Loses His Shine

05/07/2012 12:02

• Markets Quieted By Diamond Scandal
• Commodities Subdued Ahead of ECB Decision
• Eyes On NFP Data Friday

As investors wait for word from the European Central Bank on their decision over interest rates, sentiment remains reserved Thursday. Yesterday saw many traders tuning into Bob Diamond’s love le »

Chariots Of Independence Day!

04/07/2012 13:44

• Where There’s A Will Smith, There’s a Way
• ECB: Will They Won’t Way
• Will Of The People

Forex traders might have been surprised by yesterday’s US factory orders reading that came out somewhat healthier than expected. This had the effect of seeding the opportunity for investors to o »

Editor’s Morning Forex Review: Let’s Call ‘Arry

04/07/2012 10:10

• Diamond In The Spotlight
• ECB To Cut Rate?
• BoE - More QE?

Forex traders’ attention - like the rest of us - will be focussed, naturally enough, on this afternoon’s Westminster showdown when Bob Diamond squares up to critical MPs. Just a couple of »

Sign On You Crazy Diamond

03/07/2012 16:02

• If The BarCap Fits…
• Bobbing And Weaving
• Statistics, Lies and Damned LIBORS!

Notwithstanding the Sun’s splendid headline last week – which (as you can see above) I’ve shamelessly lifted for the title of this piece – clued-up forex traders will be savvy »

Gold Nudges Higher On Downbeat US Data

03/07/2012 13:05

• Bullion Up On Stimulus Speculation
• ECB Rate Reception Uncertain
• Chinese Data Disappoints

Gold markets edged higher Tuesday morning after lacklustre manufacturing data boosted investor speculation over a further round of easing measures from central banks in the U.S. and China. Now tradin »

Editor’s Morning Forex Review: Stimulating Stimulus

03/07/2012 12:18

• Going Dutch
• Fight To The Finnish
• Pips Squeaking

Just as the markets took stock yesterday of the EU Summit, Finland and the Netherlands moved to block bond-buying plans, casting the first doubts on the ‘deal’. Forex traders saw this new »

Unemployment Climbs As Euro Zone Rifts Deepen

03/07/2012 11:30

• Euro Zone Unemployment Rates Hits Record High
• 282,000 Extra Young People Out Of Work y-o-y
• Gloomy Forecasts From Top Forex Brokers

As the globe reels from the news that the US’ manufacturing sector declined for the first time in three years, new unemployment figures from across the euro zone have emerged to show the tangibl »

Terry Talks Tough

02/07/2012 16:01

• Libor Now On Everyone’s Lips
• Bring Back Glass-Steagall
• Traders Are The Ruin Of Retail Banking

Terry Smith, the straight-talking Chief Executive of one of the world’s largest inter-dealer money brokers, Tullett Prebon – and as such, a man whom forex traders everywhere will acknowled »

Investors Await US ISM Data: Slump Expected

02/07/2012 15:39

• Decline Expected For June
• Downbeat Rumblings
• Global Economic Cool-down

After a string of disappointing PMI data from nations across the globe, all eyes are now on the US manufacturing ISM. Due for release at 15:00 BST, this indicator provides speculators with a good pict »

Editor Morning Forex review: On Your Merks... Get Set...

02/07/2012 12:00

• Summit To Get Our Trades In To
• Greenback Bull-run
• LTRO... Or No LTRO

The outcome of the EU Summit caught all but the clued-up forex traders among us slightly in the blocks on Friday afternoon. Angela ‘Iron Lady’ Merkel’s climb-down - when combined wit »

Over To China

29/06/2012 14:28

• Yuan Goes Global
• Reserve Keeper
• Hong Kong Phooey?

Having spent the morning pouring over Japanese economic indicators, attention has now shifted ever so slightly west for an announcement about the next stage of China’s plan to internationalise t »

Japanese Data Disappoints Amid Euro Zone Uncertainty

29/06/2012 13:06

• Japanese Industrial Output Disappoints
• Consumer Prices Fall
• Euro Zone Fall Is Root Cause, Say Experts

Japanese industrial output tumbled by 3.1 percent in May, a report out Friday revealed. Consumer prices also declined in the worst month for Japanese output since the March 2011 earthquake. An officia »

Asian Stocks Soar On EU Summit Progress

29/06/2012 11:23

• Asian Stocks Advance On Summit Announcement
• JPY Hits 9-Day High Vs. USD
• Investors Eye Japan Data For QE Clues

The yen soared Friday morning, as day one of the EU summit brought news that the monetary union would be injecting €120bn injection of liquidity into the beleaguered banking system and making sig »

Editor’s Morning Forex Review: From Dirge to Surge in 12 Hours

29/06/2012 10:15

• Germany 1, Italy 2!
• Oh what a beautiful ‘risk-on’ morning!
• A dawn chorus of pips squeaking

After another day yesterday when forex traders watched the EU Summit paralysis extend towards the month/quarter/half year end, today has dawned with a complete turnaround. In response to an apparent l »

New Balls, Please

28/06/2012 18:04

• UK Q1 Growth Revised Down
• QE Already Priced In?
• EU Summit Sentiment Takes Further Bashing

British tennis fans will be hoping for a more forceful display of strength from British hope Andy Murray this afternoon, than from sterling’s lacklustre performance on live forex charts. Despite »

Editor Morning Forex review: EU Summit

28/06/2012 11:00

Hailed as the most important gathering of European leaders in the history of the single currency, the ‘Mother-of-all-Summits’ gets underway today. Amid decidedly apoplectic concerns that f »

Fifty Shades of Nay

27/06/2012 17:57

• Summit – positively nothing
• Euro falls for a third day v greenback
• $1.20 eyed

As euro zone exporters prepare for the summer break, the Fifty Shades of Grey which they – along with forex traders and seemingly just about everyone else – uploaded to their e-readers mig »