Australian Dollar

The Aussie Dollar is forming an ascending flag after breaking resistance at $1.02 on the 2-Hour chart. Reversal below $1.025 would retrace to at least $1.01, while upward breakout from the flag would offer a target of $1.05*.

Australian Dollar/USD

* Target calculation: 1.03 + ( 1.02 – 1.00 ) = 1.05

Australia: ASX 200

The ASX 200 continues to range between 3900/4000 and 4150. Twiggs Money Flow (21-day) oscillating  around zero indicates uncertainty. Narrow consolidation below 4150 would be a bullish sign and breakout would test the May high of 4450. Reversal below 3900/4000 is less likely but would warn of a primary decline.

ASX 200 Index

Forex: Euro, Pound Sterling, Australian Dollar and Canadian Loonie

The Euro retreated below support at $1.26, indicating a test of the 2010 low at $1.19/1.20. Breach of the rising trendline on 63-day Twiggs Momentum would strengthen the bear signal.

Euro/USD

Pound Sterling is testing resistance at $1.58 against the greenback. Respect would indicate  another test of primary support at $1.52. A 63-day Twiggs Momentum peak below zero would warn of a primary down-trend.

Pound Sterling/USD

* Target calculation: 1.53 – ( 1.63 – 1.53 ) = 1.43

Against the Euro, Pound Sterling is in an accelerating up-trend. The gap between the recent low at €1.225  and the previous peak at €1.215 suggests strong buying pressure — as does 63-day Twiggs Momentum oscillating high above zero.

Pound Sterling/Euro

* Target calculation: 1.250 + ( 1.250 – 1.215 ) = 1.285

Canada’s Loonie is strengthening against the Aussie Dollar. Long-term bullish divergence on 63-day Twiggs Momentum warns of reversal to a primary up-trend. Breakout above parity would confirm.

Canadian Loonie/Aussie Dollar

* Target calculation: 1.00 + ( 1.00 – 0.96 ) = 1.04

Short retracement suggests that the Aussie Dollar is, in turn, strengthening against the greenback on the Daily chart. Breakout above $1.02 (and the descending trendline) would indicate that a bottom is forming. Recovery of 63-day Twiggs Momentum above zero would suggest a primary up-trend.

Aussie Dollar/USD

* Target calculation: 1.02 + ( 1.02 – 1.00 ) = 1.04

Australia: ASX 200

A monthly chart of the ASX 200 shows how the index tends to peak ahead of the CRB Commodities Index and Australian Dollar but then fall in step with them from there on. The ASX 200 was first to reverse direction in 2011 but commodities now lead the way. Expect Australian stocks — and the Aussie Dollar — to follow commodities lower. Breach of primary support at 3850 would offer a target of 3200*.

ASX 200, CRB Commodities Index, AUDUSD - Monthly Chart

* Target calculation: 3800 – ( 4400 – 3800 ) = 3200

On the daily chart, breach of support at 3980/4000 would signal a test of primary support at 3850. Reversal of 21-day Twiggs Money Flow below zero, warning of medium-term selling pressure, increases the likelihood of a downward breakout.

ASX 200 Index

* Target calculation: 4000 – ( 4150 – 4000 ) = 3850

A tilt in Australian liberalism | MacroBusiness

Houses and Holes: As I have noted in the past that, for the most part, Australian political economy is divided pretty simply into two teams. On one side you have a kind of bastardised social liberalism in which trade union thugs wield power via the Labor Party and are supported by a cultural community of Irish-Catholic derived “battlers”. On the other side, you have an equally bastardised neo-liberalism in which corporations wield power via the Liberal Party and are supported by a cultural community of English-Protestant derived “bludgers”. Whether the members of either team are from Vietnam, Israel, Lebanon or Lapland, rich or poor is irrelevant. This is our tribal political culture……

via A tilt in Australian liberalism | | MacroBusiness.

Forex: Europe, Australia, Canada, South Africa and Japan

The Euro is testing its new resistance level at $1.26. Respect would offer a target of $1.17*. Bullish divergence on 63-day Twiggs Momentum, however, warns that the down-trend is weakening; recovery above zero would suggest reversal to a primary up-trend. Breach of the descending trendline would strengthen the signal.

EUR/USD

* Target calculation: 1.26 – ( 1.35 – 1.26 ) = 1.17

Pound Sterling displays a strong up-trend against the euro, again testing resistance at €1.25. Breakout would signal an advance to €1.30*. 63-Day Twiggs Momentum oscillating high above zero indicates trend strength.

GBP/USD

* Target calculation: 1.26 + ( 1.26 – 1.22 ) = 1.30

The Greenback has corrected sharply against the Japanese Yen before finding medium-term support at ¥78. Recovery above ¥80 (and the descending trendline) would indicate that the correction is over, while breach of support would test primary support at ¥75.50/76.50. The long-term bullish divergence on 63-Day Twiggs Momentum continues to warn of reversal to an up-trend.

USD/JPY

* Target calculation: 84 + ( 84 – 78 ) = 90

Sharply falling crude oil prices have weakened Canada’s Loonie relative to the Aussie Dollar. Against the greenback, the Loonie bounced of short-term support at $0.96 but this is unlikely to last and we should expect a test of primary support at $0.94/0.95. A 63-day Twiggs Momentum peak below zero would warn of a primary down-trend.

Canadian Dollar

* Target calculation: 0.96 – ( 0.98 – 0.96 ) = 0.94

The Aussie Dollar lifted along with commodity prices and is headed for a test of $1.02 (USD). Upward breakout would signal an advance to $1.08, while respect of resistance (and the descending trendline) would warn of a decline to $0.90*. A 63-day Twiggs Momentum peak below zero would strengthen the bear signal.

Aussie Dollar

* Target calculation: 0.96 – ( 1.02 – 0.96 ) = 0.90

The Aussie Dollar is headed for a test of resistance at R8.50 (South African Rand). Breakout would offer a target of R9.00*. Reversal of 63-Day Twiggs Momentum below zero, however, would warn of a primary down-trend.

Aussie Dollar/South African Rand

* Target calculation: 8.50 + ( 8.50 – 8.00 ) = 9.00

Asia-Pacific stocks surge on Greek election results

ASX 200 Index is testing resistance at 4120 after Greek voters narrowly favored the New Democracy party in Sunday’s election — meaning that Greece is likely to remain in the euro-zone. Bullish divergence on 21-day Twiggs Money Flow indicates medium term buying pressure — following breach of the descending trendline suggested that the correction was over. Follow-through above 4150 would strengthen the signal, offering a target of the May high at 4450.

ASX 200 Index

Dow Jones South Korea Index respected support at 402. Breakout above 420 would confirm that the down-trend is over. Recovery of 63-day Twiggs Momentum above zero would strengthen the signal.

Dow Jones South Korea Index

Dow Jones Japan Index is testing the descending trendline and short-term resistance at 49. 63-Day Twiggs Momentum still reflects a primary down-trend, but breach of the descending trendline would warn that a bottom is forming.

Dow Jones Japan Index

Dow Jones Hong Kong Index is testing medium-term resistance at 388. Breach of the descending trendline warns that a bottom is forming. Upward breakout would indicate a rally to 440. Recovery of 63-day Twiggs Momentum above zero would strengthen the signal.

Dow Jones Hong Kong Index

Australia: ASX 200

The ASX 200 is consolidating above primary support — between 4000 and 4150 — while the sharp fall of 13-week Twiggs Money Flow below zero warns of strong selling pressure. Failure of primary support would indicate a decline to 3600*. Recovery above 4150 is unlikely but would suggest another test of 4450.

ASX 200 Index

* Target calculation: 4000 – ( 4400 – 4000 ) = 3600

Australia: GDP growth is not real

Mark Graph: Table 5 of the national accounts includes the implicit price deflators (IPD) for each term in the expenditure equation for GDP….the big deflationary item was exports….

So we get to the heart of the anomaly: largely because we exported a touch less in volume terms (in Q1 2012 compared with Q4 2011) but at significantly reduced prices, this contributed significantly to an outcome where real GDP grew significantly while nominal GDP stagnated.

via Understanding our price deflationary boom | Mark Graph.

Comment:~ So real GDP growth is not really real. The major difference between nominal GDP growth (1.2% annualized) and real GDP growth (a far more impressive 5.2% annualized) is a fall in the price of exports!

Forex: Australia – be careful what you measure

The Aussie Dollar rallied strongly off support at $0.96 against the greenback, on the back of strong GDP numbers. Expect a test of the declining trendline around $1.02. A peak below zero on 63-day Twiggs Momentum, however, would warn of a strong primary down-trend.

Australian Dollar/USD

Be careful what you measure!

Australian Real GDP may have grown by 1.3 percent for the first quarter, but as Stephen Koukoulas points out: Nominal GDP (before adjustment for inflation) only grew by 0.3 percent. The cause of the Real GDP surge is a sharp fall in the GDP price deflator, used to adjust for inflation. Falling prices may be welcomed by the consumer but they warn of a deflationary contraction — as in 2008/9 when nominal GDP fell by 5.0 percent.

Australian GDP

In the long-term, the Australian Dollar normally follows commodity prices. At present the CRB Commodities Index is falling sharply and the Aussie is likely to follow.

CRB Commodities Index/Australian Dollar