Daily Market Analysis By FXOpen

2024 Is All About Interest Rate Policy, but Who Is Right?


There are high hopes for the year ahead, especially given that 2023 was mostly a period in which rebuilding Western economies was steady and relatively progressive within the financial markets.

Britain slowly moved forward, away from the cost of living crisis, double figure inflation and government-enforced lockdowns that dogged the early part of this decade, with 2023 having been a gradual move upwards for the British economy, in which inflation became more palatable, and in which it avoided any of the toxicity from some of the high profile bank demises in the United States during last year.

Similarly, the United States economy has been getting itself very much back on track, with inflation now well under control and productivity reasonably high. Despite the collapse of some major banks, which brought memories of the 2008/2009 banking catastrophe back to the forefront of many minds, the US continued steadily and calmly with a strong Dollar and good overall figures.

Even the tech stocks are now back to a good level of trading volatility and out of the doldrums, leading US investors to be back to positivity.

There has been a lot of discussion and speculation regarding the potential monetary policy on both sides of the Atlantic for 2024. Will the central bankers begin to stop increasing interest rates? Will they pursue quantitative easing policies?

One school of thought centres around quantitative easing, which is a monetary policy strategy used by central banks in which they purchase securities in an attempt to reduce interest rates, increase the supply of money and drive more lending to consumers and businesses.

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Disclaimer: This article represents the opinion of the Companies operating under the FXOpen brand only. It is not to be construed as an offer, solicitation, or recommendation with respect to products and services provided by the Companies operating under the FXOpen brand, nor is it to be considered financial advice.

EUR/USD, GBP/USD, and USD/JPY Market Analysis


Today, investors are focusing on the December minutes of the US Federal Reserve meeting, which will help clarify the regulator’s plans for the near future: more than 70.0% of analysts expect that officials may resume the program to reduce borrowing costs in March. Also during the day, December data on the index of business activity in the manufacturing sector from the Institute for Supply Management (ISM) will be published: a moderate increase in the indicator is expected from 46.7 points to 47.1 points. It is worth noting that a similar index from S&P Global presented the day before did not meet analysts’ expectations, falling from 48.2 points to 47.9 points with neutral forecasts.

EUR/USD


According to EUR/USD technical analysis, the EUR/USD pair is showing slight growth, correcting after a rather sharp decline the day before, as a result of which the local lows of December 20, 2023, were updated. The single currency is trading near the 1.0960 mark, and market participants expect new drivers to appear in the market. Immediate resistance can be seen at 1.1000, a break higher could trigger a move towards 1.1047. On the downside, immediate support is seen at 1.0947, a break below could take the pair towards 1.0869.

The EU will present December inflation statistics within a week, which may affect the ECB's further monetary policy. The German consumer price index may rise by 0.1% in monthly terms after -0.4 and in annual terms from 3.2% to 3.8%. Final inflation data in the eurozone will be published on Friday. The annual rate is expected to accelerate from 2.4% to 3.0%. In addition, investors will evaluate the December report on the American labour market, which may also have an impact on future decisions of the US Federal Reserve.

Based on the lows of two days, a new downward channel has formed. Now the price is in the middle of the channel and may continue to decline after approaching the upper limit.

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Disclaimer: This article represents the opinion of the Companies operating under the FXOpen brand only. It is not to be construed as an offer, solicitation, or recommendation with respect to products and services provided by the Companies operating under the FXOpen brand, nor is it to be considered financial advice.

Traders Adjust Their Expectations for Fed Action


From the beginning of November to the end of December 2023, the dollar index futures price fell by approximately 5.5%, according to the CME exchange. The weakening of the USD was caused by the sentiment of traders who expected the Fed to cut interest rates in March. As a result of the sentiment that prevailed at the end of 2023, stock indices, gold (setting a historical maximum on December 4) and cryptocurrencies rose.

However, the start of 2024 indicated a sharp change in sentiment, with the dollar index futures price rising more than 1% during the January 3-4 sessions.

This can be interpreted as:

→ during the pre-holiday period, there was a certain emotional component that helped to look into the future with optimism;

→ after the end of the holidays, market participants adjusted their expectations regarding the easing of the Fed's actions.

Data released yesterday showed that there is no clear indication that the Fed may start cutting rates, as its members still see the need for policy to remain restrictive for some time.

That is, in the first days of 2024, there was a correction of bullish sentiment at the end of 2023. In the cryptocurrency market, which is characterised by a high degree of margin (opening positions with borrowed funds), the correction turned into an avalanche of sales — the BTC/USD rate dropped rapidly to the level of $41,000, forming a false bullish breakout of the consolidation zone at the end of 2023, which we wrote about yesterday.

We also note the decline in the NASDAQ technology stock index, which, according to Bloomberg, showed the worst start to the year since 2001 (the time of the dot-com crash).



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Disclaimer: This article represents the opinion of the Companies operating under the FXOpen brand only. It is not to be construed as an offer, solicitation, or recommendation with respect to products and services provided by the Companies operating under the FXOpen brand, nor is it to be considered financial advice.

Analysts Downgrade AAPL Shares


According to Yahoo Finance, Barclays analysts downgraded AAPL shares to “underweight” and lowered their price forecast: they expect the share price to drop to USD 160 (although AAPL traded above USD 184 yesterday).

Analysts justified their decision by their expectations of a decrease in demand for new iPhone models. “Our checks remain negative on volumes and mix for iPhone 15, and we see no features or upgrades that are likely to make the iPhone 16 more compelling.”

The news caused AAPL's share price to fall 3.6% on Tuesday, its biggest one-day percentage drop since September, and the decline wiped out more than USD 107 billion in market value. Concerns are growing due to:

→ growing competition from companies such as Huawei Technologies Co;

→ strict measures by the Chinese government against foreign-made devices.



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Disclaimer: This article represents the opinion of the Companies operating under the FXOpen brand only. It is not to be construed as an offer, solicitation, or recommendation with respect to products and services provided by the Companies operating under the FXOpen brand, nor is it to be considered financial advice.

European Currencies Find a Short-term Bottom after Publication of Fed Minutes


The beginning of this year turned out to be quite successful for the American currency. In just a few trading sessions, the euro/US dollar pair lost about 200 points, the pound/US dollar pair dropped to 1.2600, and the US dollar/yen managed to strengthen by more than 300 points. However, yesterday the upward correction on the greenback slowed down slightly, which allowed the major currencies to find short-term support.

GBP/USD

The pound/US dollar currency pair, after testing 1.2800, sharply rolled back. Weak volatility during the pre-holiday days contributed to increased sales of the pound, and yesterday the price fell to 1.2600. But by the end of the American session, the pair sharply rolled back up to 1.2670.

Today is an important fundamental day for the pair. At 12:30 GMT+3, the UK composite index for December will be published. The index of business activity in the services sector and the volume of mortgage lending for November will also be released. Analysts expect growth in indicators, which may contribute to the continued strengthening of the pair.

On the daily GBP/USD chart, we see the bearish reversal bar from December 28. At the moment, the pair's decline has slowed down at the intertwined alligator lines. If the level of 1.2000 is broken, we may expect a resumption of the decline to 1.2500.



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Disclaimer: This article represents the opinion of the Companies operating under the FXOpen brand only. It is not to be construed as an offer, solicitation, or recommendation with respect to products and services provided by the Companies operating under the FXOpen brand, nor is it to be considered financial advice.

5 Stocks To Consider in January 2024


A new year means a new start. Market optimism appears to be the order of the day as the beginning of 2024 leads a foray into the new era in which the slow recovery of Western economies signalled in 2023.

With tech stocks back in the limelight over the course of recent months, will market conditions favour these even more during the year ahead?

Given that there is a wide range of speculations and expectations relating to a potential change in central bank policy, which would see a move away from the ultra-conservative methods being used on both sides of the Atlantic that have been in place for a long period, with increases in interest rates continuing despite the backdrop of reducing inflation, it may be worth considering that dynamic, modern high-tech companies whose stocks are listed on North American stock exchanges are very responsive to such changes.

In circumstances where monthly commitments are high, a very different corporate policy is often considered at times when the cost of meeting such commitments is considerably lower, allowing companies to reinvest in growth.

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Disclaimer: This article represents the opinion of the Companies operating under the FXOpen brand only. It is not to be construed as an offer, solicitation, or recommendation with respect to products and services provided by the Companies operating under the FXOpen brand, nor is it to be considered financial advice.

Market Analysis: Gold Price Corrects Gains While Crude Oil Price Aims Higher


Gold price is correcting lower from the $2,088 resistance. Crude oil price is rising and it could climb further higher toward the $75.90 resistance.

Important Takeaways for Gold and Oil Prices Analysis Today

• Gold price failed to clear the $2,088 resistance and corrected lower against the US Dollar.
• A key contracting triangle is forming with support at $2,042 on the hourly chart of gold at FXOpen.
• Crude oil prices are moving higher above the $71.00 resistance zone.
• There is a key bullish trend line forming with support near $72.60 on the hourly chart of XTI/USD at FXOpen.

Gold Price Technical Analysis


On the hourly chart of Gold at FXOpen, the price was able to climb above the $2,050 resistance. The price even broke the $2,078 level before the bears appeared.

The price traded as high as $2,088 before there was a downside correction. There was a move below the $2,060 pivot zone. The price settled below the 50-hour simple moving average and RSI dipped below 50. Finally, it tested the $2,030 zone.

The price is now attempting a recovery wave above the $2,040 level. It climbed above the 23.6% Fib retracement level of the downward move from the $2,078 swing high to the $2,030 low.

If the bulls remain active, the price could start a fresh increase. Immediate resistance is near the 50-hour simple moving average at $2,046. The next major resistance is near the 50% Fib retracement level of the downward move from the $2,078 swing high to the $2,030 low at $2,055.

An upside break above the $2,055 resistance could send Gold price toward $2,078. Any more gains may perhaps set the pace for an increase toward the $2,088 level.

Initial support on the downside is near the $2,042 level. There is also a key contracting triangle forming with support at $2,042. The first major support is $2,030. If there is a downside break below $2,030, the price might decline further. In the stated case, the price might drop toward $2,010.

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Disclaimer: This article represents the opinion of the Companies operating under the FXOpen brand only. It is not to be construed as an offer, solicitation, or recommendation with respect to products and services provided by the Companies operating under the FXOpen brand, nor is it to be considered financial advice.

USD/JPY: The Price Reaches Resistance at 145 Yen per US Dollar


As of Friday morning, the situation on the USD/JPY market deserves attention:

→ the US dollar is on course to demonstrate its strongest week since July 2023. The media writes that markets are adjusting expectations regarding the easing of monetary policy by the Fed.

→ The yen fell about 3% against the US dollar in the first week of the year, which could be its weakest weekly performance since August 2022.

The USD/JPY chart shows that:

→ the price moves within the descending channel (shown in red). Growth at the beginning of the year expanded its boundaries along the principle of a parallel channel.

→ the median line has been broken by the bulls. The price action around 142 shows increased demand. The price could not consolidate below this level in December, serving as a powerful support for ending panic on December 7 and 14-15. Also, demand forces did not allow the price to reach the lower border of the channel on December 28.



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Disclaimer: This article represents the opinion of the Companies operating under the FXOpen brand only. It is not to be construed as an offer, solicitation, or recommendation with respect to products and services provided by the Companies operating under the FXOpen brand, nor is it to be considered financial advice.

The Dollar On the Rise ahead of the US Non-farm Payrolls Report


The American currency is receiving support after the publication of the meeting minutes of the Federal Open Market Committee, according to which officials may begin a cycle of interest rate cuts by the end of this year, while pointing to continued uncertainty in the economy. Trading participants are in no hurry to open new positions ahead of today's publication of the December report on the US labour market. Forecasts assume a slowdown in the growth rate of new jobs outside the agricultural sector from 199.0k to 170.0k. At the same time, the unemployment rate is expected to adjust from 3.7% to 3.8%, and the average hourly wage, from 4.0% to 3.9%. At the moment, investors are evaluating a report from Automatic Data Processing (ADP), which reflected an increase in employment in the private sector from 101.0k to 164.0k, while analysts expected 115.0k. In turn, the number of initial applications for unemployment benefits for the week of December 29 decreased from 220.0k to 202.0k, with a forecast of 216.0k.

EUR/USD


According to EUR/USD technical analysis, the pair shows mixed trading dynamics, consolidating near the 1.0940 mark. Immediate resistance can be seen at 1.0989, a break higher could trigger a move towards 1.1000. On the downside, immediate support is seen at 1.0911, a break below could take the pair towards 1.0839.

Activity in the market remains quite low, as investors are in no hurry to open new positions ahead of the publication of European statistics on consumer inflation and the December report on the US labour market. Forecasts suggest a moderate rise in the eurozone consumer price index in December from 2.4% to 3.0%, which could lead to the ECB taking a pause before the expected launch of a cycle of interest rate cuts this year. Yesterday, inflation statistics were published in Germany. In monthly terms, the indicator increased by 0.1% after declining by 0.4% in November, and in annual terms it accelerated from 3.2% to 3.7%, which turned out to be slightly worse than market expectations at 3.8%. The single currency was also moderately supported by statistics on business activity: the composite index in the eurozone manufacturing sector in December rose from 47.0 points to 47.6 points, and in the services sector from 48.1 points to 48.8 points, beating neutral forecasts.

Based on the lows of two days, a new downward channel has formed. Now the price is in the middle of the channel and may continue to decline after approaching the upper limit.

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Disclaimer: This article represents the opinion of the Companies operating under the FXOpen brand only. It is not to be construed as an offer, solicitation, or recommendation with respect to products and services provided by the Companies operating under the FXOpen brand, nor is it to be considered financial advice.

High Hopes for FTSE 100 Deflate After First Week of 2024


At the end of last year, there were a number of interesting speculations regarding the trajectory that the stock of London's most prestigious 100 companies would take in the new year.

The FTSE 100 index had been increasing in value very steadily during the final two weeks of 2023, creating the potential notion that it may venture toward the 8,000 mark once again, revisiting the milestone which it passed in February last year for the first time in history.

One full week of trading has now passed since 2024 began, and the upward direction that was prevailing at the end of December has not continued.

Instead, a steady decrease in value has materialised, with the FTSE 100 index having reduced in value over the five-day moving average from 7,764 on January 2 to 7,680 on the opening bell this morning at the London Stock Exchange at FXOpen. The FTSE 100 had dipped as low as 7,654 on Friday afternoon last week.

Hopes were high for a bumper start to 2024 for the London Stock Exchange's FTSE 100 index, with many analysts having made their predictions at the end of 2023 that it would have a better year in 2024 than it did in 2023.

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Disclaimer: This article represents the opinion of the Companies operating under the FXOpen brand only. It is not to be construed as an offer, solicitation, or recommendation with respect to products and services provided by the Companies operating under the FXOpen brand, nor is it to be considered financial advice.