- German consumer sentiment falls
- ECB’s Lagarde will participate in a panel discussion on policy
- EUR/USD is putting pressure on support at 1.0916. Next, there is support at 1.0822
- 1.0988 and 1.1082 are the next resistance lines
EUR/USD has edged lower on Wednesday. In the European session, EUR/USD is trading at 1.0939, up 0.20%.
German consumer confidence dips
The German GfK Consumer Sentiment report found that consumer confidence is expected to fall in July to -25.4, down from a downwardly revised -24.4 in June. The report noted that the German consumer is reluctant to spend due to economic uncertainty, and high inflation has eroded the purchasing power of households.
The consumer confidence release comes on the heels of the German Ifo Business Climate index, which fell from 91.7 to 88.5 in June. This missed expectations and marked the index’s lowest level this year. The weak confidence numbers highlight a persistent lack of confidence in the German economy.
The ECB, which continues to signal that more rate hikes are coming, finds itself between a rock and a hard place. The Bank’s number one priority is curbing inflation, which will require more rate hikes. However, tightening too quickly runs the risk of choking economic activity and tipping the German economy into a recession.
How far will the ECB go in raising interest rates? Investors hope to get some clues from ECB President Lagarde later today when she participates in a panel on policy at the ECB bank forum in Sintra. Lagarde said on Tuesday that eurozone inflation remains too high and reiterated that ECB policy “needs to be decided meeting by meeting and has to remain data-dependent.”
In the US, Tuesday’s strong releases were further proof of a solid economy. Durable Goods Orders and New Home Sales were higher and beat expectations, and Conference Board Consumer Confidence jumped in June from 102.5 to 109.7, its highest level since January 2022. These strong releases will provide support for the hawkish Fed, which is expected to raise rates in July and again in September or October.
