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Euro Stoxx index falls for the first time in 11 trading sessions

European indices move lower today

The major European indices have closed lower today.

  • The Euro Stoxx index fell for the first time in 11 trading sessions (10 higher closes).
  • The German Dax came off of a record levels.
  • The France’s CAC could not reach its all-time high from 2000
A look at the provisional closes shows:
  • German DAX, -0.5%
  • France’s CAC, -0.9%
  • UK’s FTSE 100, -1.0%
  • Spain’s Ibex, -0.83%
  • Italy’s FTSE MIB, -0.85%
The Euro Stoxx index fell -0.7%.
In other markets as London/European traders look to exit:
  • Spot gold plus $5.50 or 0.32% at $1784.85.
  • Spot silver is up for cents or 0.21% $23.75
  • WTI crude oil futures are down $0.35 or -0.49% at $67.60
  • bitcoin is trading down $773 at $46,248. The digital currency traded above $48,000 today
In the US stock market, the major indices are lower but off their lowest levels:
  • Dow is down -79 points or -0.22% at 35436
  • S&P index is down -16.29 points or -0.36% at 4451.53
  • NASDAQ is down 125 points -0.85% 14697.65
In the forex market, the CHF is now the strongest of the majors while the CAD remains the weakest. The USD is mixed with gains vs the CAD, AUD and NZD and declines vs the JPY and CHF. The greenback is near unchanged levels vs the EUR and GBP.

Japan’s Golden Week holidays begin Thursday

29 April to 5 May inclusive (Thursday to Wednesday)

Friday 30th sneaks in, its not actually a holiday but will be taken by many.
Tokyo FX markets will be absent for the holidays with therefore reduced liquidity during the Asian timezone.
Holidays in the 4 prefectures, Tokyo and the western prefectures of Osaka, Kyoto and Hyogo, with a state of emergency will be subdued. Residents of the four prefectures have been asked to reduce outings, to a minimum and refrain from travelling outside the prefectures. Residents of other parts of the country were urged not to travel to the four prefectures.

Brexit – UK says not afraid to walk away from talks. Less than 20% chance of a deal.

A couple of UK media items on Sunday with Brexit developments.

The UK’s chief Brexit negotiator David Frost spoke with the newspaper the Mail on Sunday
He said that the UK would leave the transition arrangement “come what may” in December. That is, deal or no deal the UK is out.
Meanwhile in the Sunday Times:
  • planning for no-deal has ramped up
  • senior figures in government have predicted that the chance of securing a Brexit trade agreement with Brussels is now less than 20%
Links for each (may be gated) if you’d like more
GBP is trading on wide spreads in early movement. Its just before:
  • 8 am in NZ
  • 6 am in Sydney
  • 5 am in Tokyo
  • and 4 am in Singapore & Hong Kong
If you are familiar with how forex market times work you’ll know that liquidity right now Is super thin. GBP swinging a little:
A couple of UK media items on Sunday with Brexit developments.

CFTC commitment of traders: EUR longs increase to 200K (all time largest long position).

Weekly FX speculative positioning data from the CFTC

  • EUR long 200K vs 180K long last week. Longs increased by 20K
  • GBP short 3K vs 15K short last week. Shorts trimmed by 12K
  • JPY long 27K vs 31K long last week. Longs trimmed by 4K
  • CHF long 17K vs 12K long last week. Longs increase by 5K
  • AUD short 1K vs 1K short last week. Shorts trimmed by 4K
  • NZD 0K vs 1K short last week. Shorts trimmed by 1K
  • CAD short 30k vs 23K short last week. Shorts increased by 6K

Highlights:

  • EUR longs continue to rise and are at new record long position at 200K. The largest short position all time is at -227K
  • GBP position has been whittled down to near unchanged after being short by 36K at the beginning of June 2020
  • AUD and NZD speculative positions are near unchanged
  • CAD shorts are the more or less, the only short currency position (long USD position).
Weekly FX speculative positioning data from the CFTC

Why Africa is now the biggest new market for forex trading

Forex trading is on the rise in Africa

FX
In recent years there has been a significant rise in demand for forex trading in Africa, with the majority of the estimated 1.3 million traders in Africa residing in South Africa and Nigeria.

Not only is the number of traders and investors across Africa increasing, but the number of foreign investors is also on the rise, strengthening Africa’s currencies as well as the economy greatly.

With the South African Rand being one of the top 20 most traded currencies in the world at the moment, Africa offers one of the largest markets for forex trading globally.

Some of the world’s largest forex brokers, such as FXTM and HotForex, have become regulated with the Financial Sector Conduct Authority (FSCA) of South Africa, one of the most respected financial authorities in the industry.

With the increase in forex trading in Africa, the FSCA has responded responsibly and enforced a new licensing regime known as the Over the Counter Derivative Provider license (ODP).

The ODP forces all brokers with a local presence to provide transaction data such as price, instrument type, leverage ratios as well as the name and residence of the investor, to the FSCA to ensure safe and legal trading practices.

The FSCA allows these brokers to offer services not only in South Africa, but also to other African countries such as Nigeria, Ghana and Kenya.


The European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA) enforced new restriction laws on the maximum leverage ratios allowed for European traders, forcing traders to look to other markets.

These new restrictions only allow leverage ratios of 30:1 for major currency pairs, 20:1 for non-major currency pairs and gold, and 2:1 for cryptocurrencies. Leverage ratios as low as these have a massive negative impact on potential profits.

Added to this, the provision of bonuses, promotions and binary options was also banned.

The FSCA allows brokers to offer unlimited leverage ratios, which can potentially maximise funds greatly, and has led to more residents being prompted to start trading the African markets.

Although there are minor restrictions in some African countries to prevent fraudulent activities, there is no complete forex trading ban in Africa, which allows nearly anyone to profit from these ever-growing markets.

Recent lockdown measures as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic and the resulting unemployment have prompted people to explore new opportunities to earn money.

The forex market is easily accessible, holds endless opportunities to make money with little required capital and traded 24 hours, five days a week, allowing people to trade either full-time or part-time.

Where forex trading was always expensive and originally done by large companies and high net-worth investors, it is now more affordable than ever, with some brokers charging no minimum deposits and minimal banking fees.

Another incentive to enter the world of forex trading is the multitude of free tools to ensure success, such as trading courses, demo accounts and webinars that educate beginners on how to trade, use strategies and analyse markets.

Trading is made easy with the internet becoming more accessible across the African continent. All one needs is a smart phone, pc, laptop or tablet, and a good internet connection, to trade from anywhere in Africa and the rest of the world.

CFTC commitments of traders: EUR longs spike by 32K to a record long level

Weekly FX speculative positioning data from the CFTC

 

  • EUR long 157K vs 125K long last week. Longs increased by 32K
  • GBP short 25K vs 15K short last week. Shorts increased by 10K
  • JPY long 29K vs 19K long last week. Longs increased by 10K
  • CHF long 8K vs 7K long last week. Longs increase by 1K
  • AUD short 5K vs 0K long last week. Shorts increased by 5K
  • NZD short 1K vs 2K last week. NZD switches from long to short. 3K change
  • CAD short 13k vs 17K short last week. Shorts trimmed by 4K
Highlights:
The BIG HIGHLIGHT for the week is in the EUR.  The EUR longs spiked up by 32K to 157K in the current week to a record high for long positions. The move higher is corresponding to higher EURUSD prices. The price of the EURUSD has been up for 6 consecutive weeks.  The long position started to move more to the upside during the May 19 week when the position was at 72K.  The EURUSD during that week was down at 1.0800. The price high today reached to 1.1908 before backing off.  Nice trade for the longs.
Of course, a concern for markets that get too long or short, is that there can be a squeeze the other way if prices start to lose trend momentum.   As a result, be careful of too much of a good thing, but let the technicals tell the story. They have been bullish.
Weekly FX speculative positioning data from the CFTC_
The GBP shorts, however, increased by 10K to 25K (still much lower than the EUR longs) while the currency has moved higher.
The JPY longs increased and the USDJPY moved down (higher JPY) into early trading today. However, the price snapped back higher and nearly erased the full move lower this week in a single day.

USD weakening further into Asia morning FX trade

The overnight (and past weeks!) USD weakness is carrying over into early Asia

Its heading towards 8.30am in Tokyo and 7.30 in Singapore and Hong Kong
Across the board USD weakness, although CAD is a laggard.
Apart from what I have been posting there is no fresh news.

What to look out for in the week ahead?

As we turn to UK/EU trade moves in FX markets been a rather quiet affair despite the EU Summit having given us little to work with.

I have no firm intel on when we get full confirmation and the outcome but we’re now heading into the fourth day of the marathon talks, but at this point it appears we’re getting closer to a deal, with the level of grants the key sticking point and rumoured to be around E390b.

EUR implied volatility (vol) has been rising of late, as we can see this in the weekly implied volatility scan, with EURUSD 1-week vol pushing into the 32nd percentile of the 12-month range.

This puts EURUSD in an expected range this week of 1.1523 to 1.1303, with a 68% level of confidence. Once again last weeks implied move/range offered a solid guide for mean reversion traders, or those just looking to manage risk more effectively.

(Weekly vol matrix – snapshot from Friday’s close)

PS2
Traders were net buyers of the single currency on Friday into the EU Council meeting, with EURUSD testing 1.1447 – a level I’ve marked as core to markets – a weekly close through here could hold huge implications for global markets and take the USDX through 95.78.

EURGBP is also getting some good interest, with price having pushed into 0.9134 before finding good supply – I have this on this cross on the radar as the buyers are back in control here and we have Fridays high in our sights. A break of 0.134 would be clearly bullish.

Options traders extremely neutral on gold moves

Gold is on the radar too, with the USD firmly at the centre of the thought-process today.

Moves today should be sanguine, and if I look at the options markets I see 1-week implied volatility falling to a 7 vol discount to 1-year vol – the lowest since 2013 – showing a belief that near-term moves in gold will be incredibly subdued and a grind. I also see 1-week risk reversals at 0.56, and 1-month risk reversals at 1.015 – effectively, the options markets is about as neutral on the metal as I have seen in some time – a move through 1813, and into new cycle highs, possibly changes that dynamic and see traders looking for a more explosive move in price.

PS3

Still upbeat on equities but fiscal debates offer new challenges

On the index side, the weekly chart of US500 looks constructive, and despite earnings season ramping up this week, the feel the technical side is suggestive of further upside. The risk for the market this week is on the fiscal side and equities could be sensitive to the news flow and one suspects it will not be smooth sailing.

Staying in the vol space and we see equity vol headed lower, with the cash VIX -2.3 vols on Friday and into 25.68% – closing below its 200-day MA, which is something it failed to do throughout the various tests in June. Our VIX index tracks the VIX futures and is approaching the June lows – one to watch as lower equity vol is saying we’re moving into the US summer doldrums and is having an effect in FX markets. (more…)

European shares end the session with mixed results

Italy and Portugal indices move higher

the major European indices are ending the session with mixed results. Germany, France, UK and Spain show declines while Italy and Portugal eked out gains. The closes are showing:

  • German DAX, -0.43%
  • France’s CAC, -0.42%
  • UK’s FTSE 100, -0.62%
  • Spain’s Ibex, -0.2%
  • Italy’s FTSE MIB, +0.3%
  • Portugal’s PSI 20, +0.95%
Italy and Portugal indices move higher_
In the European debt market, benchmark 10 year yields fell across the board with UK yields down the most at -2.8 basis points.
European 10 year yieldsIn other markets as London/European traders look to exit:
  • spot gold $-4.25 or -0.23% $1806.05. The high for the day reached $1813.48. The low extended to $1802.97
  • WTI crude oil futures fell $0.19 or -0.46% to $41.01. It’s high price reached $41.18 while the low extended to $40.60. The September contract is currently down $0.21 or -0.51% of $41.19
In the forex market,
  • GBPUSD. The GBPUSD is trading at new session highs in the currently hourly bar. In the process, the price has moved back above its 200 and 100 hour moving average. That tilted the bias back to the upside in what has been an up and down market over the last 7 or so trading days. On the topside a trendline connecting highs from this we currently comes in at 1.2634. The high from yesterday reached 1.26487. The high for the week on Monday reached 1.26652.
  • EURUSD: The EURUSD moved higher in the London session after finding support buyers near the 38.2% retracement of the move up from the Friday low at 1.13759. The high price reached 1.1441. The high price from yesterday reached 1.14512. There is close support at 1.14223 area

Here’s a EUR/USD forecast (to 1.15) with the ECB expected to be optimistic this week

The European Central Bank meet this week, preview below.

  • Meeting Thursday 16 July 2020
  • Policy announcement at 1145GMT (policy likely unchanged)
Euro forecast via Danske (this from late last week):
  • We remain constructive and expect the broad USD to decline over the coming months
  • 3 month forecast is 1.15
On the upcoming ECB policy meeting
  • we expect a repetition of recent comments from various governing council members, thereby striking a cautiously optimistic tone compared to the June projections. 
  • We also expect they may decide not to use the EUR1,350bn PEPP envelope in full. 
  • No new initiatives are expected next week
  • Markets may not be prepared for a ‘less dovish’ message
  • with abundant liquidity, PEPP and APP still ongoing
  • Our key expectation is that the ECB will reiterate its stance towards supporting a recovery, with, not least, a focus on sovereign spreads. 
For spot FX,
  • the direction and stance of the ECB and euro area fiscal politics are, in our view, quite well priced and communicated (though to a lesser extent when it comes to the outcome for Brexit). In turn, it will be the breath and speed of the global recovery that sets the tone in EUR/USD, and mostly through the USD leg

European Central Bank preview