US Dollar, EUR/USD, Non-Farm Payrolls, Citi Economic Surprise Index, Technical Analysis – Analyst Pick
- US Dollar regained its strength this week so far, but patience is key
- Data seems to suggest that non-farm payrolls disappoint on Friday
- This is as EUR/USD flirts with resuming the broader downtrend
Will the US Dollar Regain its Momentum Ahead?
The US Dollar wrapped up a disappointing May as the DXY Dollar Index fell about 1.4%, ending a 4-month winning streak. Now, with just 2 days to go this week, the USD is setting up for the best 5-day performance since late April. Is the US Dollar readying to resume its broader rally against the Euro, or will EUR/USD find the momentum to push higher in the days ahead?
Over the past few weeks, rising US recession woes have pushed the markets to trim Federal Reserve rate hike expectations for 2023. This is as odds of a 50-basis point rate hike in September dwindled amid increasingly cautious commentary from the Fed. Now, strong US manufacturing data helped reignite hawkish central bank policy expectations as June began.
Meanwhile, St. Louis Fed President James Bullard mentioned that ‘it is too early to say if inflation has peaked’. A combination of the data and Fedspeak overnight helped boost Treasury yields. This is as the expected Fed policy gap narrowed, indicating that the markets see the central bank increasingly closing the difference between benchmark lending rates and inflation in one year.
However, it might be too premature to look at further US Dollar strength until this week passes. That is because the highly-anticipated non-farm payrolls (NFPs) report on Friday might disappoint. Looking at the Citi Economic Surprise Index tracking the US in the chart below, data has been increasingly underperforming relative to economists’ expectations as of late.
A softer jobs report could see the markets unwind some of the hawkish expectations priced in over the past couple of days. This could hurt the US Dollar and boost risk appetite, perhaps pushing EUR/USD higher. Otherwise, solid or in-line NFPs could see traders shift their focus back on the central bank fighting inflation. With that in mind, what levels should traders be watching ahead?
US Economic Data is Underperforming Versus Expectations
EUR/USD Technical Analysis
On the 4-hour chart, EUR/USD is starting to show early signs of vulnerability. In late May, the pair broke above a falling trendline from March, opening the door to extending gains. Now, after leaving behind resistance at 1.0787, EUR/USD broke under the 20- and 50-period Simple Moving Averages (SMAs).
This also followed negative RSI divergence, showing that upside momentum was fading. A confirmatory close under support (1.0640) could hint at resuming losses towards the May low (1.0348). Also, a bearish ‘Death Cross’ might soon emerge between the SMAs.
4-Hour Chart
--- Written by Daniel Dubrovsky, Strategist for DailyFX.com
To contact Daniel, use the comments section below or @ddubrovskyFX on Twitter
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