EUR/USD: eurozone reported an increase in GDP for Q1
In early trading, the EUR/USD exchange rate is experiencing an adjustment, being at the level of 1.0655, although economic statistics from the European Union show positive trends.
On the eve of the meeting, many EU states presented results on gross domestic product (GDP) for the first quarter. France showed an improvement of 0.2%, reaching 1.1% year-on-year, which is higher than the previous 0.8%. Spain recorded a 0.7% quarterly GDP growth and an increase from 2.1% to 2.4% per annum, while in Italy the quarterly growth was 0.3%, although the annual rate decreased from 0.7% to 0.6%. The German economy grew by 0.2% compared to the previous 0.5% decline, but the annual rate remained negative at -0.2%. As a result, eurozone GDP improved from -0.1% to 0.3% quarterly and from 0.1% to 0.4% per annum. These data may contribute to the decision of the European Central Bank to lower interest rates. In this context, the head of the Dutch Central Bank, Claes Noth, stressed the continuation of the disinflation process, making the upcoming rate cut in June likely, but called for caution in the further steps of the regulator.
- Resistance levels: 1.0710, 1.0810.
- Support levels: 1.0620, 1.0500.
GBP/USD: UK Mortgage Loan record in 18 months
The GBP/USD exchange rate is at 1.2470 and continues to decline amid unfavorable economic data from the UK.
April figures from Nationwide Building Society showed a decrease in the housing price index by 0.4% for the month, which is worse than the predicted 0.2% and the previous value of -0.2%. The annual index also fell to 0.6%, against the expected 1.2% and the previous 1.6%. This trend contributes to an overall slowdown in inflation, which now stands at 3.2% compared to the previous figure of 3.4%. This gives the Bank of England the opportunity to reduce interest rates more actively, ahead of market expectations. In addition, in March, the number of approved mortgage loans reached 61.33 thousand, updating an 18-month record. The growth in consumer lending amounted to 1.577 million pounds compared with 1.429 million pounds a month earlier, and net borrowing by individuals increased to 1,800 million pounds against the projected 1,700 million.
- Resistance levels: 1.2525, 1.2697, 1.2875.
- Support levels: 1.2322, 1.2058.
USD/JPY: exchange rate forms a global wave of appreciation
The USD/JPY pair fluctuates horizontally near the 157.82 mark, while the yen continues its decline, reaching a new peak of 160.00 on Monday, followed by a sharp rise in the currency. A significant correction followed after Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida avoided answering questions about potential currency interventions at a press conference. Despite this, taking into account trading volumes, it can be assumed that the Bank of Japan took measures to influence the market, which should be confirmed by the report on the current balance of operations of the regulator, which will be published next week.
The yen has been under pressure for a long time, not finding support in macroeconomic data: retail sales growth slowed from 4.7% to 1.2% in March, falling short of the projected 2.5%, which was the result of the increasing impact of inflation on household finances. According to a report by the Bank of Japan, prices for services continue to rise, but a significant increase in wages offered by companies may increase citizens' incomes this year and help stabilize the consumer price index at the target 2.0%. It should be noted that April showed an improvement in the index of business activity in the manufacturing sector to 49.6 points from 48.2 points, but this did not bring significant support to the yen.
- Support levels: 157.00, 154.50.
- Resistance levels: 158.30, 160.20.
Oil market analysis
Brent crude oil prices have stabilized at $85 per barrel.
Economic data from China are supporting oil prices: in the first quarter, the country increased oil imports by 0.7% compared to the same period last year, reaching 137.36 million tons. At the same time, oil production in China increased by 2.3% to 53.48 million tons, refuting assumptions about a significant reduction in energy demand from the Chinese economy at the beginning of the year, which had a positive impact on market prices.
However, the current local trend is under pressure due to the growth of strategic hydrocarbon reserves in the United States. According to information from the American Petroleum Institute (API), oil reserves increased by 4,906 million barrels over the past week, which contradicts analysts' expectations of a reduction of 1,500 million barrels. A new report from the US Energy Information Administration (EIA) is expected, where analysts predict an adjustment of -2.300 million barrels after the previous drop of -6.368 million, raising questions against the background of API data.
- Resistance levels: 86.50, 89.50.
- Support levels: 84.70, 81.50.