What is happening in the currency market raises more and more questions especially if you look at the behavior of the single European currency and the pound, which behave in completely different ways. And it would be nice if this happened under the influence of certain macroeconomic data or political events both in the European Union and Great Britain. So no, nothing of the kind happened yesterday.
At the same time, as usual, the market completely ignored the rather secondary data on Germany. We are talking about the IFO indices, which remained completely without any attention. At the same time, the business optimism index increased from 96.0 to 96.1, but the current situation assessment indicator declined from 99.2 to 98.9. In turn, the expectations index rose from 92.9 to 93.4. At the same time, it is surprising how expectations can grow if the current situation worsens. So, on the whole, the data can be characterized as multi-directional, and no conclusions can be drawn from them. Moreover, the lack of reaction is also associated with this.
IFO Business Optimism Index (Germany):
On the other hand, the single European currency began to grow actively from the very opening of the American trading session, although at the same time, I placed French government securities, the yield on which went down. In particular, the yield on 6-month bonds decreased from -0.587% to -0.589%, while 12-month bills from -0.582% to -0.591%. Only on 3-month bills was an increase in profitability recorded from -0.596% to -0.587%. And yes, this is not a mistake. The yield on them is negative for all. That is, investors will receive less than they invested. And in theory, this situation should scare investors, but the single European currency was growing.
And against the background of all this, the subsequent behavior of the dollar at the time of placement of already US government debt securities, looks extremely untypical. It's just right. The profitability went down and the dollar became cheaper. But then again, only in relation to the single European currency. So, the yield on 3-month bills decreased from 1.545% to 1.505%, while on 6-month bills from 1.51% to 1.44%. And here is where the behavior of the dollar is completely logical and correct. However, another thing is surprising, because the yield on government loans should go down if the market expects a decrease in the refinancing rate of the Federal Reserve. But the fact is that American macroeconomic statistics clearly indicate that Jerome Powell just right to think about the possibility of raising this refinancing rate. So questions are raised by the dynamics of the yield on government debt securities, since it is clearly moving in the wrong direction. Although this may be due to just growing demand associated with a clear deterioration in the economic situation in Europe, while the US economy is doing quite well.
The market continues to demonstrate its indifference to European macroeconomic data since early in the morning. Although in Germany, Europe's largest economy, the fourth quarter final GDP data showed that economic growth did not slow down from 0.6% to 0.4%, as preliminary data showed, but to 0.3%. In other words, the German economy is moving toward recession even faster, but the market does not seem to notice it. Just as he did not notice the slowdown in the decline in producer prices in Spain from -1.9% to -0.8%. Although everything is clear here, since the Spanish macroeconomic data are in any case not as important as the German ones.
GDP growth rate (Germany):
However, today is seriously different from yesterday, as the United States publishes important macroeconomic data. Well, the market reacts extremely sensitive to American statistics. So, the S & P / CaseShiller data should show an acceleration in the growth rate of housing prices from 2.6% to 2.8%. Given the fact that rising house prices is a leading inflation indicator, then inflation will continue to rise. It turns out that American statistics may well be the reason for the resumption of the strengthening of the dollar.
S & P / CaseShiller (United States) Housing Price Index:
The euro / dollar currency pair which is in the correction phase returned to the area of 1.0850, where the quote slowed down and formed a range of 1.0840 / 1.0870. It is likely to assume that the fluctuation in the given framework will continue in the market, where in case the price is fixed lower than 1.0830, a signal of working off the level of 1.0850 will be received and, as a fact, the downward trend will be restored.
The pound / dollar currency pair is within the correctional course of the past week, where the quote tends to a maximum of 1.2976. It is likely to assume that the local upward interest will soon change, and the quote will return to the values of 1.2900 ---> 1.2885 again.
