Abstract:U.S. GDP shrank 1.4% in the first quarter, and the dollar index hit a nearly 20-year high
Fundamentals:
On Thursday, the U.S. GDP unexpectedly shrank by 1.4% in the first quarter, turning negative for the first time since mid-2020. The U.S. stock market rose collectively, the S&P 500 hit the largest in seven weeks, the NASDAQ rose more than 3%, and industrial stocks dominated the market. The index also rose nearly 2 percent. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 1.85% to 33,916.39. The Nasdaq Composite rose 3.06 percent to 12,871.53. The U.S. S&P 500 rose 2.47% to 4,287.50.
EU officials say it would be a violation of EU sanctions for EU companies to open ruble accounts to pay for Russian gas. Russia's request for ruble payments would be troublesome because it would involve the sanctioned central bank of Russia. Energy companies in Germany, Austria, Hungary and Slovakia, including Uniper and OMV, are preparing to open ruble accounts with Gazprom, according to the Financial Times.
Technical:
Dow: U.S. real GDP fell 1.4% quarter-on-quarter in the first quarter, lower than market expectations for a 1% increase, and far below the 6.9% increase in the fourth quarter of last year, and inflation-adjusted first-quarter GDP fell 0.4% quarter-on-quarter, the weakest quarter for the U.S. economy since the early days of the pandemic in 2020. The current Dow bears continue, continue to pay attention to the position near the bottom target of 32222 in the lower range.
US dollar: The US dollar index rose strongly, reaching a maximum of 103.95, a new high since December 2002, and closed 0.67% at 103.67; the 10-year US bond yield rose slightly to 2.83%. The U.S. dollar index kept hitting new highs, and the U.S. dollar continued to rise at the high opening, reaching the former high-pressure position near 103. At present, it is necessary to be cautious in chasing more U.S. dollars.
Gold: It stopped falling and rebounded on Thursday, and the intraday low fell to $1,872/oz. The European market began to fluctuate higher and closed 0.48% at $1,894.72/oz. Spot silver fluctuated down and closed 0.55% at $23.16/oz. At present, gold has retreated slightly to the vicinity of 1915 above the short-term range and pay attention to the pressure level above the range of 1915. If the pressure position is valid, we will continue to pay attention to the gold shorts.
Crude oil: Crude oil continued to rise, WTI crude oil closed 3.21% at $105.7 per barrel; Brent crude oil closed 2.2% at $108.23 per barrel. Crude oil prices pulled back, pay attention to the target near the first pressure position above 105, and pay attention to the 92 positions at the bottom of the short continuation range in the later period.
(The above analysis only represents the analyst's point of view, the forex market is risky, and investment should be cautious)
The USD/JPY pair hovers around 152.50, just above a three-month low, as traders anticipate the Bank of Japan's policy decision, expecting a 10-basis-point rate hike and bond-buying tapering, which supports the Yen. A slight recovery in the US Dollar has paused the pair's rise, with the Dollar Index near 104.50 ahead of the Federal Reserve's meeting, where rates are expected to stay unchanged but with dovish guidance.
The USD/JPY pair is trading below 157.00, with the Japanese Yen strengthening due to risk-off sentiment in the Asian session. The pair is now focused on potential Japanese intervention and upcoming US economic data. On Monday, USD/JPY fell over 0.20% and is currently at 156.96, with a bearish outlook for potential further declines.
USD/JPY trades below 157.50 due to Yen strength after warnings from Japanese authorities, despite US Dollar strength and rising US Treasury yields. Suspected intervention pushed the pair to a one-month low, with traders cautious of further actions. Slight improvements in US Treasury yields support the Dollar, but expectations of a Federal Reserve rate cut in September may limit gains.
Gold prices are rising near $2,315 as US bond yields decline, with expectations of two Federal Reserve (Fed) rate cuts this year due to easing inflationary pressures. The CME FedWatch tool indicates a 66% probability of a rate cut in September, with further cuts expected in November or December. However, the Fed's own projections suggest only one rate cut this year, as policymakers seek sustained inflation declines before normalizing policy.