Date: 6th June 2024.
Ideal Economic Conditions Push The NASDAQ To New Highs!
- Economists expect the European Central Bank to cut interest rates this afternoon. However, investors will be keen to hear how many cuts are likely in 2024 after strong wage growth.
- The NASDAQ climbs to a new all-time high while economic data indicates an earlier rate adjustment but not a recession.
- The NASDAQ rises more than 2.00% on Wednesday. 88% of the most influential components within the NASDAQ rose.
- The US employment sector continues to witness signs of a slowdown, but investor sentiment rises while the ISM Services PMI rises to a 9-month high.
USA100 – 88% of NASDAQ’s Components Rise!
The NASDAQ rose again to an all-time-high after obtaining the ideal economic data to signal a sooner rate adjustment but not a harsh landing. The ADP Non-Farm Employment Change fell to 152,000 and the JOLTS Job Openings to 8,060,000. The data indicates the US employment sector is now at a higher risk of declining, but not yet necessarily on the downturn. Simultaneously the ISM Services PMI rose to a 9-month high which points to potential economic growth in the services sector.
As mentioned during yesterday’s market analysis, in order for the stock market to witness a stronger bullish impulse wave, investors will be looking for two elements. Economic data to pressure the Fed to adjust interest rates, but also some positive data to lower the risk of a recession. This was the primary reason for the strong trend observed during yesterday’s US session, marking one of the rare occasions when the asset increased without any pullbacks.
The 11 stocks with the highest “weight” all rose in value and only 12% of the most influential stocks declined. The best performing stocks were Broadcom (+6.18%), Applied Material (+5.25%) and NVIDIA (+5.16%). The only stocks which did not witness an increase were PepsiCo which fell 0.23% and Cisco Systems which fell 2.95%.
The NASDAQ is obtaining clear indications of upward price movement on all indicators (2-Hour & 4-Hour Chart). However, the price is trading slightly lower this morning which may prompt short term traders to hold off buy signals. In order to obtain a further buy signal, technical analysts point to 3 potential entry points. Based on the 100-Bar SMA the 5-Minute chart indicates a buy signal above $19,077.09, Fibonacci indicates a buy signal at $19,082.50 and the breakout level is at $19,095.00.
EURCHF – Investors Focus On The ECB’s Rate Decisions!
The day’s best performing currencies during this morning’s Asian session are the Swiss Franc, Canadian Dollar and the Australian Dollar. Therefore, if investors wish to speculate downward price movement due to rate cuts, these pairs potentially can be beneficial. From these exchanges the lowest spread is the EURAUD. During this morning the EURCHF is trading 0.09% lower and is forming a symmetrical triangle. Therefore, there is not yet a clear indication of buy or sell indications.
However, volatility is likely to rise after the European Cash Open and after the European Central Bank’s rate decision. Most economists believe the European Central Bank will cut interest rates 0.25%, and according to Bloomberg, this has almost been fully priced within the market. However, economists advise a key factor will be how many rate cuts are likely. Over the past two weeks, the Eurozone witnessed higher wage growth, economic growth and sticky inflation. Therefore, the main question will be how many interest rate cuts will come in the rest of 2024.
Always trade with strict risk management. Your capital is the single most important aspect of your trading business.
Please note that times displayed based on local time zone and are from time of writing this report.
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Michalis Efthymiou
Market Analyst
HFMarkets
Disclaimer: This material is provided as a general marketing communication for information purposes only and does not constitute an independent investment research. Nothing in this communication contains, or should be considered as containing, an investment advice or an investment recommendation or a solicitation for the purpose of buying or selling of any financial instrument. All information provided is gathered from reputable sources and any information containing an indication of past performance is not a guarantee or reliable indicator of future performance. Users acknowledge that any investment in FX and CFDs products is characterized by a certain degree of uncertainty and that any investment of this nature involves a high level of risk for which the users are solely responsible and liable. We assume no liability for any loss arising from any investment made based on the information provided in this communication. This communication must not be reproduced or further distributed without our prior written permission.
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Date: 7th June 2024.
ECB closer look: All options open for the second half of the year!
ECB officials continue to dampen rate cut speculation, following on from Lagarde’s hawkish comments yesterday. Officials have been out in force this morning to continue stressing that the inflation outlook remains uncertain and that the central bank is not committing to a particular rate path for the rest of the year.
The ECB cut rates by
25 basis points, but as we expected it was a “hawkish” cut that left all options open for the second half of the year. Lagarde repeatedly stressed that future decisions will be data dependent, and even refused to confirm that yesterday’s move was the first step of an easing cycle.
Rate cuts in September and December are still a possibility, but not cast in stone.
Simkus admitted that there may be more than one rate cut this year, but on the whole, the comments were designed to keep a lid on speculation that the central bank kicked off a rate cut cycle yesterday. Austria’s central bank head Holzmann went on record yesterday to confirm that he was the sole dissenter objecting to a cut yesterday, and so far the doves have been quiet, which is helping to affirm Lagarde’s hawkish message yesterday.
Details of the Rate Cut
The ECB delivered the first rate cut in five years and lowered key rates by 25 basis points. The deposit rate is now at 3.75% and the main refinancing rate at 4.25%. It was a “hawkish cut,” as near term inflation forecasts were revised higher, and Lagarde flagged that domestic inflation remains high. The statement stressed that the ECB is not pre-committing to a particular rate path, and the comments leave all options on the table for the second half of the year.
Economic Activity and Forecasts
The ECB noted the improvement in economic activity through the first quarter of the year. Lagarde also highlighted that manufacturing is showing signs of stabilization, with stronger exports expected to support growth in coming quarters. At the same time, monetary policy should be less of a drag on demand over time, according to the ECB. The new set of forecasts show GDP rising 0.9% this year, which is more than the 0.6% expected back in March. The forecast for 2025 has been revised slightly down to 1.4% from 1.5% previously, and the ECB still expects a slight acceleration to 1.6% for 2026.
The inflation forecast for this year was raised to 2.5% from 2.3%, and the projection for 2025 was hiked to 2.2% from 2.0%. As such, inflation will fall toward the target later than previously anticipated, though the forecast for 2026 was left unchanged at 1.9%. This means the headline rate is still expected to fall below the target at the end of the forecast horizon.
Upside Risks to Inflation
The statement noted upside risks to the inflation outlook from wages and profits, which could be higher than currently anticipated. Geopolitical tensions and extreme weather events could also push up prices once again, according to the ECB. At the same time, the ECB acknowledged that inflation could come in lower than anticipated if monetary restrictions have more of a dampening effect than currently anticipated, or if global growth weakens more than projected.
The press conference was mainly dedicated to driving home the point that future decisions will depend on data available at the time of the respective meeting. Lagarde even refused to confirm that the central bank has effectively kicked off an easing cycle, and said in response to a question that she wouldn’t necessarily say that the ECB started a “dialing-back process”. She suggested it is likely, but refused to confirm it, which in theory means rates could actually go up again.
This seems unlikely, given that this move was a near unanimous decision, but its makes clear that the ECB will not cut rates at every meeting and that the outlook for the rest of the year is still very much open. The ECB still thinks that monetary policy needs to remain restrictive for the foreseeable future against the backdrop of high domestic inflation. However, as chief economist Lane suggested recently, officials will have to debate at every meeting whether the data allows the central bank to dial back the degree of restrictiveness.
Employment and Inflation Dynamics
Wage growth, profits, and services price inflation will remain the key numbers to watch through the rest of the year. Lagarde pointed to data on the compensation of employees, due to be released tomorrow, but also flagged that current wage agreements are often still backward looking, as they reflect attempts to compensate for the sharp rise in prices since the start of the Ukraine war. As we flagged previously, the multi-year wage agreements in Germany are a prime example of that. However, as Lagarde highlighted, the deals on the table so far show sharp increases for this year, but also imply a slowdown in wage growth in coming years.
However, unemployment is at a record low and the number of vacancies has dropped only slightly. At the same time, service price inflation remains stubbornly high, which suggests that companies have sufficient room to pass on higher labor costs. With real disposable income rising, thanks to lower inflation and higher wages, companies could find it even easier to hike prices in the second half of the year, and yesterday’s rate cut is also likely to boost demand. In the current situation, this could add to domestic price pressures.
Looking ahead, the only thing that is clear is that Lagarde did her best to keep expectations of back-to-back cuts under control. The chances still are that the ECB will deliver two more 25 basis point cuts in September and December, but at this point, nothing is cast in stone.
Always trade with strict risk management. Your capital is the single most important aspect of your trading business.
Please note that times displayed based on local time zone and are from time of writing this report.
Click
HERE to access the full HFM Economic calendar.
Want to learn to trade and analyse the markets? Join our webinars and get analysis and trading ideas combined with better understanding on how markets work. Click
HERE to register for FREE!
Click HERE to READ more Market news.
Andria Pichidi
Market Analyst
HFMarkets
Disclaimer: This material is provided as a general marketing communication for information purposes only and does not constitute an independent investment research. Nothing in this communication contains, or should be considered as containing, an investment advice or an investment recommendation or a solicitation for the purpose of buying or selling of any financial instrument. All information provided is gathered from reputable sources and any information containing an indication of past performance is not a guarantee or reliable indicator of future performance. Users acknowledge that any investment in FX and CFDs products is characterized by a certain degree of uncertainty and that any investment of this nature involves a high level of risk for which the users are solely responsible and liable. We assume no liability for any loss arising from any investment made based on the information provided in this communication. This communication must not be reproduced or further distributed without our prior written permission.
