Breakouts A Common Site Across The Currency Market
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Volatility has clearly returned after the weekend liquidity lull. With a drive that is finding its source from general risk trends and dollar strength, we are starting the week on enough momentum to drive breakouts and reversals. Our DailyFX Analsyts weigh in on whether this move will hold up and where to take advantage of the evolving market trends.
Currency Strategist John Kicklighter
My picks: Pending USDCAD Breakout
Expertise: Combining Money Management with Fundamental and Technical Analysis
Average Time Frame of Trades: 3 days - 1 week
The dollar has developed a clear bout of strength since the turn of the week - with significant breakouts and reversals developing across many of the most liquid pairings. In the commodity bloc in fact, AUDUSD and NZDUSD have both taken the first steps towards a bearish breakout on ascending wedge formations that have been developing for the past three months. However, USDCAD has proven itself to be the odd-man out. Congestion is still in place even as another divergence begins to expand between growth and interest rate expectations. Looking at all greenback-based pairs, the dollar has its roots in risk aversion as investor capital seeks the safe haven of Treasuries and other deeply-liquid assets. Compared to the far smaller Canadian markets, the US has the leg up - though this difference has historically only really influenced USDCAD when such sentiment has hit an extreme. More interesting as risk sentiment gradually eases though is the outlook for growth. Canada has been held up very well since the global recession has evolved while dollar traders must continually defer their expectations for the eventual bottom in the US economy.
From a technical perspective, USDCAD has moved from congestion to short-lived breakouts back to congestion three times over the past month. The dollar turn has certainly lifted the pair; but we have not yet seen a remarkable breakout (like we have seen against the Australian and New Zealand currencies. If the dollar cannot carry its momentum against all its counterparts, USDCAD's drive will be the first to stall considering it is still within the boundaries of its technical range. On the other hand, the range between 1.2075 and 1.1775 cannot hold forever. Such congestion is coming up against significant trends and biases that will require resolution (like the falling trend from the triple top back on December 5th). I will look for a confirmed breakout - either bullish above 1.2075 or bearish below 1.1775 - in higher time frame bar close. Short-term momentum is with a bearish bias and such a breakout would likely have the most room to run.
Senior Currency Strategist Jamie Saettele
My picks: Limit entry USDCHF long at 1.1050, against 1.0850, target 1.15
Expertise: Technical
Average Time Frame of Trades: 1 month
The USDCHF rally from 1.0367 is the beginning of a B wave that is expected to reach Fibonacci resistance at 1.15, eventually. Wave b of B is likely complete at 1.0861. Therefore, wave c of B is underway from 1.0861 (price should remain above there). Short term support begins near 1.11.
Open trades:
NZDUSD long (from last Monday), exit
Short USDJPY (from last Wednesday), move risk to 91.69
Short AUDUSD (from Friday), exit half and move risk to .7139
Currency Analyst John Rivera
My picks:Short CAD/JPY
Expertise: Fundamentals Combined With Technicals
Average Time Frame of Trades: 1-2 Days
I was clearly too bullish on the global growth story last week and the dismal employment reports has spark a return to risk aversion as the outlook for corporate earnings dimmed. Although, I still believe that the once the get past the U.S. presidential inauguration, we may see the beginning of an extended trend of increasing risk appetite, until then I would have go with current sentiment. Watch out for support at 74.00 with a re-test of 73.00 a possibility.
Other Analyst Picks
- Chief Strategist Antonio Sousa: Short AUD/JPY
- Terri Belkas: Long EUR/GBP
- David Rodriguez: Long Japanese Yen against US Dollar (Short USD/JPY)
- Ilya Spivak: Sell EURUSD below 1.3409
- David Song: Short EUR/USD
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