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Is Cable’s bullish reversal sustainable?
Cable finally cleared the critical Fibonacci resistance at 1.3045, the major 38.2% retracement on post-Brexit sell-off, and advanced to 1.3117 in the continuation of the mid-term bullish reversal.

The UK June inflation and the Bank of England (BoE) inflation report hearings will determine whether or not the pound could consolidate strength in the bullish consolidation zone, above the 1.3045 level.

The consensus for the June headline inflation is 2.9%y/y unchanged from a month earlier. A read exceeding the 3.0% level should revive the BoE hawks and could cause severe tensions at the heart of the BoE's MPC (Monetary Policy Committee). In this scenario, the pound should resume its ascent against the US dollar. The next mid-term resistance is eyed at 1.3420 (50% level on post-Brexit decline). In contrary, a softer-than-expected inflation could cool-off the tensions regarding the UK’s rising inflation and prevent the GBPUSD from solidifying support above the $1.30 level.

The FTSE 100 stocks began the week upbeat despite the stronger pound. All sectors started in the green. Firmer oil and commodity prices are supportive of the index, while financials trade at the bottom of the range.

Extension of gains could be compromised due to uncertainties on the macro front. FTSE 100 offers are presumed at 7440p, the 50-day moving average.


Euro: calm reigns before the ECB statement

The EURUSD trades just shy of the 1.15 mark. Solid resistance is seen at this level. The Eurozone's low inflation is already factored in the European Central Bank (ECB) expectations and should not cause any significant market reaction before the policy meeting.

The ECB will meet on Thursday and is expected to maintain the interest rates unchanged. The accompanying statement will be the main highlight of this week. Investors are craving for insightful details about the ECB’s plans to unwind its Quantitative Easing (QE) program.

In the dirt of a clear guidance, there is a large window for speculation on the ECB’s next move regarding its asset purchases program. At this stage, the ECB could reasonably be expected to reduce the size of monthly purchases and stay flexible on the duration of the program.

If President Mario Draghi’s committee meets the hawkish expectations at this week’s meeting, there could be a positive breakout in EURUSD above the 1.15 hurdle. An unexpected and undesired ECB silence could squeeze the euro markets lower. At the moment, traders remain buyer at dips. Short-term support is eyed at 1.1414 (minor 23.6% retrace on June – July rise) and 1.1368 (major 38.2% retrace). The EURUSD call options trail from 1.1150 up to 1.1600 at today’s expiry.


Good news from China

The Chinese GDP grew by 1.7%q/q in the second quarter, up from 1.3% printed a quarter earlier. The world's biggest emerging market's growth improved to 6.9% on yearly basis. The retail sales rose by 11.0% year-on-year in June, the industrial production unexpectedly expanded by 7.6%y/y in the same month from 6.5% a month earlier.

Hang Seng stocks and industrial metals had a lift at the start of the week. However, the Shanghai’s Composite lost more than 1.0% on speculations that the People’s Bank of China (PBoC) wouldn't need to loosen the monetary conditions, as data dissipates worries regarding the Chinese slowdown story.

The AUDUSD soared to 0.7836, the highest level in more than a year. Carry traders are in charge of the market. The 0.80 level is on the radar with the sweet combination of softer US yields and stronger Chinese data. The daily relative strength index (74%) stepped in the overbought territory, indicating that a short-term tactical correction could be underway. Yet, the downside potential appears to be limited. Large call options are waiting to be exercised at 0.7775/0.7760 at today’s expiry.


Soft US data weigh on USD, gold recovers

The US dollar has been the weakest link last Friday, amid the US inflation came in softer-than-expected and the retail sales contracted by 0.2% month-on-month in June, versus +0.1% expected by analysts. The second consecutive month of contraction in the US retail sales further dampened the mood among the Federal Reserve (Fed) hawks. The US dollar index fell to its lowest since September 2016. The US yields remain soft; the 10-year yield is below 2.35%. The probability of a December Fed rate hike is down to 43.4% from 50% last week.

Gold recovered to the 200-day moving average ($1’230) on the back of the softer US yields. The next positive targets are set at $1’239 (major 38.2% retrace on June – July decline), $1’247 (50, 100-day moving average) and $1’250 (50% retrace), although the hedge fund managers trimmed their net long positions to the lowest levels in 17 months.

14-12-2020

GBP jumps on Brexit talks extension
The British pound has jumped in early trading this week after the UK Prime Minister and EU Commission President agreed to extend Brexit talks beyond Sunday. MARKETSThe S&P 500 fell on Friday, wrapping up a losing week, as the outlook for additional fiscal… Read more

10-12-2020

AirBnB IPO today
At its IPO price of $6 per share, Airbnb ABNB, is expected to raise at least $3.5 billion with an initial market capitalization topping $40 billion. MARKETSStocks fell on Wednesday, retreating from the record highs set earlier in the day, as tech shares strug… Read more

9-12-2020

S&P 500 closes over 3,700
MARKETSThe S&P 500 closed above 3,700 for the first time ever on Tuesday as Pfizer started to roll out its coronavirus vaccine in the U.K., lifting hope of the economy recovering in the near future. The Dow Jones gained 0.4% while the Nasdaq Composite clim… Read more

8-12-2020

Global stock market cap reaches $100 trillion for 1st time
The value of all the stocks in the world put together has reached a giant $100 trillion for the first time. MARKETSThe Dow fell 0.69% Monday, led by Intel and broad-based weakness in value stocks as rising Covid-19 restrictions offset optimism over an imminen… Read more

4-12-2020

Pfizer vaccine supply chain problems
MARKETS The S&P 500 fell slightly from record high. Major U.S stocks indices cut gains quickly in the final hour of trading after Dow Jones reported Pfizer now expects to ship half of the doses it had previously planned this year after finding raw materia… Read more

2-12-2020

Dollar Purge Continues
The US dollar dropped to fresh two-and-a-half year lows on Tuesday, with EUR/USD rising above the widely-watched 1.20 handle. MARKETSNews• Stocks in Asia-Pacific were mixed in Wednesday morning trade after major indexes on Wall Street surged to record highs o… Read more

1-12-2020

Bitcoin hits record high
The price of Bitcoin climbed 8.7% on Monday to reach a fresh record high of $19,857.03 - overtaking its previous peak made in 2017. MARKETSNews• Asia stocks rise as the Caixin/Markit manufacturing Purchasing Managers’ Index for November came in at 54.9 — its… Read more

30-11-2020

OPEC meeting starts
Today OPEC+ begin a 2-day meeting to decide whether to begin producing an extra 2 million barrels per day of oil, or delay for another 3-6 months. MARKETSNews• Asia-Pacific markets are mixed this morning while S&P 500 futures are down half a per cent. Ind… Read more