The dollar weakened on Tuesday as investors evaluated the likelihood that the U.S. Federal Reserve will raise interest rates this year, with no major new economic indicators due until Friday's retail sales report. All this week trading volumes are expected to be relatively light, with many traders and investors on summer vacations.
Meanwhile yesterday, the yen extended gains against the dollar, after data showed that U.S. nonfarm productivity unexpectedly fell in the second quarter.
Elsewhere the British pound fell for the fifth day in a row, after a Bank of England policymaker said that more quantitative easing was probably necessary if Britain's economic decline worsens.
Also the Reserve Bank of New Zealand is expected to be the next central bank to ease conditions, by cutting rates on Thursday by 25 basis points to 2.00%.
These days investors will continue to focus on U.S. economic reports, with Friday’s retail sales data in the spotlight, for further information on the strength of the American economy.
On Tuesday the pound fell for a fifth consecutive session crashing below 1.30 for the first time in nearly a month, as the Bank of England fell short of its target to buy more than a billion pounds of long-term debt, as it resumed a comprehensive quantitative easing program in its first attempts to manage the fall-out from June's historic Brexit decision.
The currency pair traded between 1.2957 and 1.3032, before closing the U.S. afternoon session down 0.32%. The sterling is now approaching 31-year lows from early-July when it fell to 1.2796, in the wake of the historic Brexit referendum.
Pivot: 1.2955Support: 1.2955 1.292 1.285Resistance: 1.3105 1.3175 1.324Scenario 1: long positions above 1.2955 with targets @ 1.3105 & 1.3175 in extension.Scenario 2: below 1.2955 look for further downside with 1.2920 & 1.2850 as targets.Comment: the RSI is bullish and calls for further upside.
Gold
Gold ticked up in quiet trade, as equities worldwide hit their highest level in almost a year, dampening the precious metal's appeal as a safe-haven asset, while investors engaged in a search for higher dividends amid a continuing rout in global bond yields.
The yellow metal traded between $1,336.10 and $1,348.45 an ounce before settling up 0.41% on the session. Although gold has retreated from two-year highs reached in early-July, the precious metal still remains fractionally below its level on July 6, when it hit a 28-month high at $1,374.90. Since opening the year around $1,075 an ounce, the precious metal has soared approximately 25% year to date and is on pace for one of its strongest years in a decade.
Pivot: 1343Support: 1343 1338 1329.5Resistance: 1359 1365 1369Scenario 1: long positions above 1343.00 with targets @ 1359.00 & 1365.00 in extension.Scenario 2: below 1343.00 look for further downside with 1338.00 & 1329.50 as targets.Comment: the RSI shows upside momentum.
WTI Oil
Crude futures see-sawed on a choppy volatile day of trading, retreating from two-week highs ahead of the American Petroleum Institute's weekly crude inventory report on Tuesday evening, after the close of trading.
WTI prices fell in early Asia on Wednesday, as a surprise build shown in industry estimates of U.S. stockpiles weighed on sentiment. The American Petroleum Institute reported a 2.1 million barrel rise in U.S. crude-oil inventories last week. Earlier, market analyst Genscape reported a build of more than 307,000 barrels at the Cushing, Oklahoma delivery hub.
Today, energy traders will focus on EIA's government report, which could show that crude inventories nationwide fell by 1.0 million barrels for the week ending on August 5.
Pivot: 42Support: 42 41 40.4Resistance: 43.8 44.5 45.2Scenario 1: long positions above 42.00 with targets @ 43.80 & 44.50 in extension.Scenario 2: below 42.00 look for further downside with 41.00 & 40.40 as targets.Comment: the RSI is mixed to bullish.
US 500
U.S. stocks were higher after the close on Tuesday, as gains in the Telecoms, Technology and Healthcare sectors led shares higher.
At the close in NYSE, the Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 0.02%, while the S&P 500 index added 0.04%, and the NASDAQ Composite index climbed 0.24%.
Rising stocks outnumbered declining ones on the New York Stock Exchange by 1733 to 1512 and 43 ended unchanged; on the Nasdaq Stock Exchange, 1408 rose and 1127 declined, while 82 ended unchanged.
This week investors will continue to focus on U.S. economic reports, with Friday’s retail sales data in the spotlight.
Pivot: 2105 Support: 2105 2042 1992 Resistance: 2190 2220 2250 Scenario 1: long positions above 2105.00 with targets @ 2190.00 & 2220.00 in extension. Scenario 2: below 2105.00 look for further downside with 2042.00 & 1992.00 as targets. Comment: the RSI is bullish and calls for further upside.