JPY Levels Out After Losses
The USD/JPY stabilized around 81.16 Thursday afternoon after the dollar made a huge jump on the Japanese currency today. Just as the greenback made huge gains against the euro following comments from Fed Reserve Chair Bernanke indicated that a new stimulus package would not be necessary. The greenback is also bouncing off of the Bank of Japan’s monetary easing move that since being implemented weeks ago has set off a downward trend with the yen. While the USD/JPY does seem to be stable for now, analysts have not yet expressed confidence that the yen has fully bottomed out following the measures taken by the BoJ.
Traders should note that heavy fluctuations are predicated next week as a batch of significant U.S. news is forecasted to be released. Positive indicators may cause the yen to extend its recent bearish trend.
Crude Oil Stabilizing
March 1, 2012 3:58 pm by ElliotCrude oil values leveled out on Thursday as overall demand for the commodity is still relatively high. The last two days saw a steep drop in crude oil values as investors were concerned with the ongoing crisis with Iran as well as decreasing demand for oil from the U.S. The most recent numbers show Brent crude oil is trading at 107.66 after falling as low as 104.80 on Wednesday night.Heading into next week, traders should be aware of the U.S. releasing the Non-Farm Employment Change figure. This does raise the possibility of increasing the overall volatility of the market.
Read more forex news on our forex blog.
Debt Crisis Saga Continues
This afternoon the Greek parliament approved a series of measures meant to reduce its debt and increase the confidence of euro-zone economies that are preparing to approve the final stages of the second bailout package. Greek parliament pushed through 3.2 billion euros of spending cuts that will reduce budgets for health care, welfare, and pension plans. These cuts will certainly do nothing to quell overall discontent amongst the Greek public, however, these measures have found favor with top EU finance ministers.
EU ministers are gathered in Brussels this afternoon in order to work out the final contours and approval of the second Greek bailout package. Essentially, the package has already been approved. What remains are the last details for ministers to work out.
Given the overall upsurge of the USD, the possibility of this making a huge impact on the euro could remain slim. As this story progresses, we’ll keep an eye on how this affects the market.
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USD on the Rise
As of this morning the EUR/USD is hovering around 1.3333. The USD made gains of 147 pips during the night before the euro was able to recoup some of its losses. Heading into today, traders will want to keep an eye on U.S. manufacturing numbers and unemployment claims that are set to be released. These numbers will be another strong indicator of overall financial health for the U.S. economy. Should these announcements further indicate growth in the U.S. economy, there is a possibility that the USD could see further gains.
Gold and Silver Drop Sharply
As the USD turned bullish during Asian trading, gold and silver dropped significantly as traders moved their investments away from riskier commodities. Gold has regained a bit of ground this morning after dropping close to 5% last evening. As of this morning, gold has picked up 1.5% and is so far stabilizing around $1722.35. Silver also took a sharp drop from 37.36 to 34.01 during late night trading. At the moment, it has steadied around 34.98.
Euro Takes a Unexpected Drop
Following the announcement that the ECB would offer longer term lending options to European banks the euro took a surprising drop. The EUR/USD is hovering around $1.3391 as of this afternoon and analysts are concerned that we will see further drops as the day proceeds. Despite the overall boost to the economic economy that the ECB’s decision might cause, investors are still showing a significant amount of worry over the durability of the euro. Prior to the announcement there were several critics that voiced concern that the ECB’s move would be seen as only a temporary solution to the long term issue of the debt crisis.
Yen Picking Up Steam
The Japanese yen has regained strength after hitting nearly it lowest point in a year against the dollar. The yen fell below traditional support levels but as of this morning it appears to be picking up steam. It is currently trading at $80.32 against the dollar, marking a 0.2 percent increase. The euro has also dropped nearly 0.1 percent against the yen in a sign the Japanese currency may finally have hit the bottom of its weeks long drop.
High Expectations for the ECB
The euro continued to rise against the dollar earlier this morning is set to consolidate gains against the greenback. Currently the EUR/USD is trading around $1.3470, representing a rise of 0.1 percent and holding near its nearly 3 month high. News regarding the expectation that the ECB is prepared to provide 500 billion euros later this week during the longer term refinancing operation (LTRO) has spurred an increase in risk appetite. We are seeing investors flocking to the euro in hopes that the traditionally riskier currency will continue its upward trend.
The ECB decision could also provide a brief reprieve in the ongoing European debt crisis as investors are hungry for any news that could spur economic growth. Heading into the afternoon, traders will be awaiting the announcement from the ECB and the subsequent results that will hit the market.
Euro on the Rise
The euro is experiencing a rise thus far today against the greenback and the Japanese yen. Currently, the EUR/USD is trading around $1.3455 which represents a rise of 0.4 percent for the day. Against the yen, the euro is hovering around 108.58 as of this morning. Analysts are attributing this to an upcoming decision by the ECB on whether or not to inject millions of euros into the economy. Regardless of the outcome, there are still lingering doubts about the strength of the euro. The euro zone is still not out of the woods with the Greek debt crisis and it remains to see how this will turn out for the single currency.
Yen Bounces Back
After hitting a nine month low, the Japanese yen has bounced back somewhat. A series of measures taken by the Bank of Japan to inject millions of yen into the Japanese economy weakened the currency, as intended. As of this morning, the yen is trading near 80.44. It rose briefly above this point yesterday against the greenback but it has since fallen back somewhat. The drop was the sharpest the yen has experienced in nearly two years.
Despite, the brief reprieve analysts are still speculating whether we’ve reached the bottom of this fall. As trading unfolds throughout the day be sure to keep an eye on which way this trend moves.
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