EUR/USD Price Analysis – Dec 27, 2024
Daily Price Outlook
During the European trading session, the EUR/USD currency pair gained some slight bullish traction, holding around the 1.0432 level.
However, the outlook for the Euro (EUR) remains weak, with market expectations that the European Central Bank (ECB) will continue its gradual interest rate cuts well into the first half of 2025.
As a result, the pair has been struggling to find clear direction, moving within a narrow range near 1.0400. Thin trading volumes, due to the Christmas holiday, have also contributed to the lack of significant movement in the pair.
On the other hand, the US Dollar (USD) has seen a small uptick, fueled by expectations that the Federal Reserve (Fed) will continue its gradual approach to policy easing, especially after inflation showed some signs of rebounding over the past few months.
With both central banks likely to follow divergent paths, EUR/USD remains stuck in this indecisive pattern as traders await clearer signals for the next move.
Euro Outlook Weighed Down by ECB Rate Cuts, Limiting EUR/USD Upside Potential
On the EUR front, the shared currency is struggling as the overall outlook for the Euro (EUR) remains negative. The European Central Bank (ECB) is expected to continue cutting interest rates at the current pace until mid-2025.
The ECB has already lowered its Deposit Facility rate by 100 basis points (bps) this year and is anticipated to reduce it by another 100 bps in the coming year. This is due to inflation in the Eurozone being more under control, although it is still above the ECB's target of 2%.
ECB President Christine Lagarde expressed confidence that inflation is moving in the right direction, saying that they are "very close" to achieving their 2% medium-term target.
However, she emphasized the need to remain cautious about inflation in the services sector. Recent comments from ECB officials suggest that they are aligned with market expectations of further rate cuts, aiming to bring the benchmark deposit rate down to 2%, which they consider a neutral level.
This cautious approach is meant to prevent inflation from falling too far below the target, which could pose risks to the economy.
Therefore, the ECB's continued interest rate cuts and cautious stance on inflation are likely to keep the Euro (EUR) under pressure, leading to limited upside potential for the EUR/USD pair. As a result, the pair may struggle to break higher levels.
US Dollar Strengthens Amid Gradual Fed Easing Expectations and Positive Job Data
On the US front, the broad-based US Dollar has been showing strength, trading higher as the market anticipates a gradual policy easing by the Federal Reserve (Fed).
Despite the slight rebound in inflation over the past three months, expectations for a slowdown in the Fed's interest rate cuts have kept the USD steady.
Recently, the Fed’s updated dot plot suggested two rate cuts in 2025, a revision from the four cuts previously expected. This has helped keep the USD in positive territory, as markets expect the economy to show solid growth under President-elect Donald Trump’s administration.
On the economic front, the latest data has been slightly better than expected. For the week ending December 20, initial jobless claims dropped unexpectedly to 219K, lower than the 220K recorded previously and better than the expected 224K.
Despite the positive job market data, analysts at BCA Research predict that the Fed will eventually cut rates by more than 50 basis points (bps) next year due to expectations that inflation will remain below the Fed’s 2% target and the unemployment rate will rise higher than forecasted. These factors suggest a more cautious outlook for the economy moving forward.
EUR/USD – Technical Analysis
The EUR/USD pair is trading at $1.04100, down 0.10% in the last session, as the pair remains under pressure near its pivot point at $1.04430.
Immediate resistance is located at $1.05029, with further resistance levels at $1.05453 and $1.05972. To confirm a bullish recovery, the pair must break and sustain above these levels.
However, the current bias suggests more downside risks. Immediate support lies at $1.03430, with subsequent levels at $1.03033 and $1.02722.
A break below $1.04424 could signal additional selling pressure, targeting $1.03626 in the short term. If bearish momentum persists, the pair may test deeper support levels at $1.03033 or even $1.02722.
Conversely, a recovery above $1.05029 would neutralize the bearish bias, paving the way for a potential upside toward $1.05453.
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