FX Breakout Monitor: USD resurgent, CHF and smalls wilt

FX Breakout Monitor: USD resurgent, CHF and smalls wilt

Forex 5 minutes to read

John Hardy

Head of FX Strategy

Summary: The US dollar has rediscovered a modest bid today in the wake of yesterday’s FOMC minutes. The Swiss franc, meanwhile, has weakened sharply, possibly as safe haven bids linked to Brexit have faded after news of the long delay to the UK's departure from the EU.

For a PDF copy of this edition, click here.

The US dollar found buyers today after shrugging off the Federal Open Market Committee minutes last night, which largely merely confirmed the Fed’s intent to stand pat on the rate outlook until incoming data and/or market turbulence indicate otherwise.

The anticipation and now reality of a long Brexit delay has seen collapsing implied volatility for sterling options and the sharp weakening of the Swiss franc in recent sessions may be linked to the same phenomenon.

We highlight the USDCHF trading at new 19-day highs since yesterday in our signal tracker today. Elsewhere, we’re more interested in adding to USD longs in the form of a NZDUSD short if that pair trades below the 19-day and 49-day low closes, which are in play already today.

Breakout signal tracker

With G10 small currencies offered today and a suddenly resurgent US dollar, our confidence in the EURNOK short has dropped sharply, but we’ll leave it in place for now. We also add a USDCHF long at the current market price with a rather wide stop in ATR terms due to very constricted recent trading ranges.

Today’s FX Breakout monitor

Page 1: USDCHF is extending fairly aggressively higher as CHF makes a rare show of multiple days of trading in the same direction (weaker). The AUDUSD break higher yesterday, meanwhile, is already on the ropes today as a close near 0.7100 would keep bulls sitting on their hands. We focus below on the NZDUSD setup for a break lower, now that the USD is firming again.

Page 2: No good follow through lower for EURNOK today, perhaps held back to a degree by EURSEK failing to follow suit in the wake of Sweden’s CPI release today. Note the precious metals are trading a bit heavy again to say the least, especially silver at that 15.00 area.

Chart: USDCHF

Always tough to trade a new “breakout” that is within the range, but given a bit of momentum in CHF weakness after a key event risk (Brexit extension) and the USD perking up, we’ll follow this one with interesting, though the obvious bigger level is that top of the cycle area above 1.0100.

Chart: NZDUSD

Very interested in tracking a possible breakout lower here due to the clarity of the range and the sense that NZD has turned the corner lower in broad terms as it finds itself under the Aussie’s thumb. Next major level lower is really the 0.6500 zone.

REFERENCE: FX Breakout Monitor overview explanations

The following is a left-to-right, column by column explanation of the FX Breakout Monitor tables.

Trend: a measure of whether the currency pair is trending up, down or sideways based on an algorithm that looks for persistent directional price action. A currency can register a breakout before it looks like it is trending if markets are choppy.

ATR: Average True Range or the average daily trading range. Our calculation of this indicator uses a 50-day exponential moving average to smooth development. The shading indicates whether, relative to the prior 1,000 trading days, the current ATR is exceptionally high (deep orange), somewhat elevated (lighter orange), normal (no shading), quiet (light blue) or exceptionally quiet (deeper blue).

High Closes / Low Closes: These columns show the highest and lowest prior 19- and 49-day daily closing levels.

Breakouts: The right-most several columns columns indicate whether a breakout to the upside or downside has unfolded today (coloured “X”) or on any of the previous six trading days. This graphic indication offers an easy way to see whether the breakout is the first in a series or is a continuation from a prior break. For the “Today” columns for 19-day and 49-day breakouts, if there is no break, the distance from the current “Quote” to the break level is shown in ATR, and coloured yellow if getting close to registering a breakout.

NOTE: although the Today column may show a breakout in action, the daily close is the key level that is the final arbiter on whether the breakout is registered for subsequent days.

Outrageous Predictions 2023: The War Economy

Billionaire coalition creates trillion-dollar Manhattan Project for energy
The constantly growing global need for energy drives the world's richest to huddle up and launch a R&D project in a size the world hasn't seen since the Manhattan Project gave the US the first atomic bomb.
Read article
French President Macron resigns
The political stalemate in France and the rise of Marie Le Pen following the 2022 elections corners President Macron, forcing him to give up on politics and resign from his position. At least for now.
Read article
Gold rockets to USD 3,000 as central banks fail on inflation mandate
As markets and central banks realise that the idea that inflation is transitory is wrong, and that prices will remain higher for longer, gold is sent through the roof, hitting a price tag of USD 3,000
Read article
EU Army forces EU down path to full union
With continued challenges in the region and a US military that isn't aggressively enacting its former role as global policeman, the European Union agrees to create its own armed forces, bringing the whole region closer.
Read article
A country agrees to ban all meat production by 2030
In an effort to become one of the global leaders on the path to net-zero emissions, one country decides to not only put a heavy tax on meat, but to ban domestic production entirely.
Read article
UK holds UnBrexit referendum
Following a recession and domestic pressure, the United Kingdom is thrown into political turmoil that will end with a vote to wind back Brexit.
Read article
Widespread price controls are introduced to cap official inflation
History tells us that with the war economy comes rationing and price controls. And this time is no different, as policymakers introduce strict price controls that lead to a range of unintended consequences.
Read article
OPEC+ & Chindia walk out of the IMF, agree to trade with new reserve asset
Sanctions against Russia have caused widespread turmoil due to US Dollar moves in countries across the globe that don't consider the US an ally. To relieve themselves from this, they leave the IMF and create a new reserve asset.
Read article
USDJPY fixed to the USD at 200 as Japan overhauls financial system
Following the challenges that faced the Japanese Yen in 2022, the Bank of Japan attempts to keep the currency from sliding. Unsuccessful on the long-term, Japan will launch a reset of its entire financial system.
Read article
Tax haven ban kills private equity
With the war economy comes an increased focus on national interests and sovereign nations' ability to assert themselves. In that regard, the OECD countries turn their attention on tax havens and pull the big guns out, banning them altogether.
Read article

You can access both of our platforms from a single Saxo account.

Try the Demo

Open Account

Disclaimer

Saxo Capital Markets (Australia) Limited prepares and distributes information/research produced within the Saxo Bank Group for informational purposes only. In addition to the disclaimer below, if any general advice is provided, such advice does not take into account your individual objectives, financial situation or needs. You should consider the appropriateness of trading any financial instrument as trading can result in losses that exceed your initial investment. Please refer to our Analysis Disclaimer, and our Financial Services Guide and Product Disclosure Statement. All legal documentation and disclaimers can be found at https://www.home.saxo/en-au/legal/.

The Saxo Bank Group entities each provide execution-only service. Access and use of Saxo News & Research and any Saxo Bank Group website are subject to (i) the Terms of Use; (ii) the full Disclaimer; and (iii) the Risk Warning in addition (where relevant) to the terms governing the use of the website of a member of the Saxo Bank Group.

Saxo News & Research is provided for informational purposes, does not contain (and should not be construed as containing) financial, investment, tax or trading advice or advice of any sort offered, recommended or endorsed by Saxo Bank Group and should not be construed as a record of our trading prices, or as an offer, incentive or solicitation for the subscription, sale or purchase in any financial instrument. No representation or warranty is given as to the accuracy or completeness of this information. All trading or investments you make must be pursuant to your own unprompted and informed self-directed decision. No Saxo Bank Group entity shall be liable for any losses that you may sustain as a result of any investment decision made in reliance on information on Saxo News & Research.

To the extent that any content is construed as investment research, such content was not intended to and has not been prepared in accordance with legal requirements designed to promote the independence of investment research and as such, would be considered as a marketing communication.

None of the information contained here constitutes an offer to purchase or sell a financial instrument, or to make any investments.Saxo Capital Markets does not take into account your personal investment objectives or financial situation and makes no representation and assumes no liability as to the accuracy or completeness of the information nor for any loss arising from any investment made in reliance of this presentation. Any opinions made are subject to change and may be personal to the author. These may not necessarily reflect the opinion of Saxo Capital Markets or its affiliates.

Please read our disclaimers:
- Full Disclaimer (https://www.home.saxo/en-au/legal/disclaimer/saxo-disclaimer)
- Analysis Disclaimer (https://www.home.saxo/en-au/legal/analysis-disclaimer/saxo-analysis-disclaimer)
- Notification on Non-Independent Investment Research (https://www.home.saxo/legal/niird/notification)

FX Breakout Monitor: USD resurgent, CHF and smalls wilt

John Hardy

Share

Latest Market Insights

Outrageous Predictions 2023: The War Economy

Billionaire coalition creates trillion-dollar Manhattan Project for energy

French President Macron resigns

Gold rockets to USD 3,000 as central banks fail on inflation mandate

EU Army forces EU down path to full union

A country agrees to ban all meat production by 2030

UK holds UnBrexit referendum

Widespread price controls are introduced to cap official inflation

OPEC+ & Chindia walk out of the IMF, agree to trade with new reserve asset

USDJPY fixed to the USD at 200 as Japan overhauls financial system

Tax haven ban kills private equity

Your browser cannot display this website correctly.