Going forward, though, it’s necessary to keep in mind that with 10 percent of the population unemployed (or 17.2 percent if you count marginally attached workers and those employed part time for economic reasons), there still isn’t as much impetus to fuel consumption growth as there has been over the past 26 years, especially when taking tighter credit conditions into account, suggesting that any economic expansion that occurs going forward may be mild from a historical perspective.
From a technical perspective, the DXY index closed Friday just above the 50 SMA and falling trendline resistance, both of which have been capping prices since July. This may ultimately indicate a change in trend for the US dollar, but uncertainty lies in the fact that closing prices were just barely above the noted resistance points. Furthermore, the currency’s move was fundamentally driven, but we’ve seen in the past that the currency often goes back to trading as a “safe haven” asset the following trading week.
Looking ahead to event risk in the coming week, additional signs of percolating consumption may hit the wires. On Friday, the Commerce Department is forecasted to report that US retail sales rose 0.6 percent in November, after rising 1.4 percent in October on the back of auto sales. Likewise, the retail sales index excluding autos is projected to increase by 0.5 percent, but looking at the International Council of Shopping Centers report, the results could be disappointing. The ICSC index showed that same store sales fell 0.3 percent in November from a year earlier, led by apparel and department store sales. However, with sales of jewelry and electronics reportedly up sharply to mark the start of the holiday shopping season on Black Friday, the upcoming advance retail sales report could reflect rising consumption trends through the end of the year. If the US dollar returns to trading in line with risk trends, positive results could actually weigh on the currency. – TB
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