The Euro finished this week nearly two percent lower against the resurgent US Dollar, leaving momentum firmly to the downside for the previously high-flying European currency. Bullish Euro Zone economic data was not enough to offset fears of monetary union stability; Standard & Poor’s joined Fitch Ratings and cut Greece’s sovereign debt rating to a single notch above junk status. Combined with news that Austria nationalized its sixth-largest bank, developments in Greece helped sink the euro to fresh lows against the dollar and other currencies. Bullish Manufacturing and Services PMI data had seemingly little effect, while optimistic German IFO Business Confidence numbers barely elicited a positive reaction from the domestic currency. CFTC Commitment of Traders data now shows that Non-Commercial traders have gone net-short the Euro for the first time since May, and the sharp shift in sentiment suggests risk remain to the downside in the weeks ahead.
The Euro finished the week nearly two percent lower against the resurgent US Dollar, leaving momentum firmly to the downside for the previously high-flying European currency. Bullish Euro Zone economic data was not enough to offset fears of monetary union stability; Standard & Poor’s joined Fitch Ratings and cut Greece’s sovereign debt rating to a single notch above junk status. Combined with news that Austria nationalized its sixth-largest bank, developments in Greece helped sink the euro to fresh lows against the dollar and other currencies. Bullish Manufacturing and Services PMI data had seemingly little effect, while optimistic German IFO Business Confidence numbers barely elicited a positive reaction from the domestic currency. CFTC Commitment of Traders data now shows that Non-Commercial traders have gone net-short the Euro for the first time since May, and the sharp shift in sentiment suggests risk remain to the downside in the weeks ahead.
Holiday-shortened trading weeks typically bring uneventful price action, but traders should be mindful of exaggerated price moves on pronounced illiquidity. Indeed, trade executions tend to be poor during holiday periods and many would do well to keep position risk light on a potentially unpredictable week of price action. this effect on market