Europe tests support

Germany’s Dax continues to test medium-term support at 7200. Respect of support would signal strong accumulation, while failure would indicate a correction to the rising trendline. 13-Week Twiggs Money Flow oscillating above zero indicates buying pressure. Breakout above 7600 would confirm a primary up-trend.

DAX Index

* Target calculation: 7000+ ( 7000 – 6000 ) = 8000

Dow Jones Europe Index consolidates below resistance at 265. Reversal below 250 would warn of a correction to test primary support, while breakout above 265 would signal a primary advance. Oscillation of 63-day Twiggs Momentum around zero suggests a ranging market with no clear primary trend.

Dow Jones Europe Index

* Target calculation: 260 + ( 260 – 210 ) = 310

The FTSE 100 continues to test support at 5740/5750. Failure of support would signal a correction to the rising trendline. Breakout above 6000/6100 is unlikely at present, but would offer a long-term target of 6750*. 13-Week Twiggs Money Flow oscillating above zero indicates long-term buying pressure.

FTSE 100 Index

* Target calculation: 6000 + ( 6000 – 5250 ) = 6750

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

The Euro is testing support at $1.28. Breakout would respect the primary down-trend, warning of another test of primary support at the 2010 low at $1.19/1.20. Reversal of 63-day Twiggs Momentum below zero would strengthen the signal. Recovery above $1.32 is less likely but would indicate an advance to $1.35/$1.36*.

Euro/USD

Pound Sterling rallied off support at €1.225 against the Euro. Breakout above €1.26 would indicate an advance to €1.29. A 63-day Twiggs Momentum trough above zero — and respect of the rising trendline — would both indicate a healthy up-trend. Breach of support at €1.225, however, would signal a primary down-trend.

Pound Sterling/Euro

* Target calculation: 1.26 + ( 1.26 – 1.23 ) = 1.29

Canada’s Loonie is testing support at parity against the greenback. Respect would indicate an advance to $1.06*. Breach of resistance at $1.03 would strengthen the signal and a 63-day Twiggs Momentum trough above zero would confirm. Failure of support, however, would warn of another test of primary support at $0.96.

Canadian Loonie/Aussie Dollar

* Target calculation: 1.03 + ( 1.03 – 1.00 ) = 1.06

The Aussie Dollar broke resistance at $1.04 after the RBA announced that it would not cut interest rates, leaving them on hold until December. Expect an advance to $1.06*. 63-Day Twiggs Momentum oscillating above zero suggests a primary up-trend.

Aussie Dollar/USD

* Target calculation: 1.04 + ( 1.04 – 1.02 ) = 1.06

Bank of England should leave forecasting to Ladbrokes « The Market Monetarist

The Market Monetarist makes a novel suggestion as to how to avoid central banks from making biased forecasts:

“…..even better as I have suggested numerous times that the central bank simply set-up a prediction market. In Britain that would be extremely easy – I don’t think there is a country in the world with so many bookmakers. The Bank of England could simply ask a company like Ladbrokes or a similar company to set-up betting markets for key macro economic variables – such as inflation and nominal GDP. It would be extremely cheap and the forecast created from such prediction market would likely be at least as good as what is presently produced by the otherwise clever staff at the BoE.”

That could work …..until punters learn that the bets they place indirectly influence central bank monetary policy. It might pay market participants to place large bets on low or high inflation if they stand to benefit from the central bank response.

via Bank of England should leave forecasting to Ladbrokes « The Market Monetarist.

Nationalbanken Defends Sub-Zero Bemoaned by Banks | Bloomberg

Peter Levring and Frances Schwartzkopff write that Denmark’s central bank has taken an unusual step to defend the krone from capital inflows similar to those experienced earlier by Switzerland.

The central bank has kept its deposit rate at minus 0.2 percent since July, in an effort to fight off a capital influx and maintain the krone’s peg to the euro.

Deposits held at the central bank are charged a fee of 0.2%, rather than paid interest as in the US.

At the same time, the industry is still paying its customers to hold their deposits in an effort to attract stable funding and reduce reliance on wholesale financing. That’s turned deposit banking in Denmark into a losing business.

The measure would encourage banks to increase lending, loosening credit standards to avoid the charge on excess reserves. It would also reduce the rate paid on call deposits, while increasing bank competition for more stable time deposits.

via Nationalbanken Defends Sub-Zero Bemoaned by Banks: Nordic Credit – Bloomberg.

Global QE

Observation made by Philip Lowe, RBA Deputy Governor:

Since mid 2008, four of the world’s major central banks – the Federal Reserve, the ECB, the Bank of Japan and the Bank of England – have all expanded their balance sheets very significantly, and further increases have been announced in a couple of cases. In total, the assets of these four central banks have already increased by the equivalent of around $US5 trillion, or around 15 per cent of the combined GDP of the relevant economies. We have not seen this type of planned simultaneous very large expansion of central bank balance sheets before. So in that sense, it is very unusual, and its implications are not yet fully understood……

via RBA: Australia and the World.

Europe: Dax buying pressure

Germany’s Dax continues to test medium-term support at 7200. Respect of support would signal strong accumulation. 13-Week Twiggs Money Flow oscillating above zero indicates buying pressure. Breakout above 7600 would confirm a primary up-trend.

Dow Jones Europe Index

* Target calculation: 7000+ ( 7000 – 6000 ) = 8000

The FTSE 100 (daily chart) is testing support at 5740/5750. Long tails suggest short-term buying pressure but bearish divergence on 21-day Twiggs Money Flow warns of medium-term selling. Breach of support would signal a correction. Breakout above 6000/6100 is unlikely at present, but would offer a long-term target of 6750*.

FTSE 100 Index

* Target calculation: 6000 + ( 6000 – 5250 ) = 6750

Forex: Aussie Dollar, Euro, Pound Sterling and Canada's Loonie

The Aussie Dollar (daily chart) is headed for another test of resistance at $1.04 against the greenback. A 63-day Twiggs Momentum trough above zero suggests a primary up-trend. Breakout above $1.04 would offer a target of $1.06*.

Aussie Dollar/USD

* Target calculation: 1.04 + ( 1.04 – 1.02 ) = 1.06

The Euro (weekly chart) is testing resistance at $1.32. Recovery of 63-day Twiggs Momentum above zero suggests a primary up-trend. Breakout above $1.32 — and penetration of the descending trendline — would confirm, offering an immediate target of the 2012 high at $1.35.

Euro/USD

* Target calculation: 1.32 + ( 1.32 – 1.28 ) = 1.36

Pound Sterling (weekly) rallied off primary support at €1.225/€1.23 against the euro. Breach would complete a head and shoulders reversal with a target of $1.18*. Reversal of 63-day Twiggs Momentum below zero suggests a primary down-trend. Expect a test of resistance at $1.26 followed by another attempt at primary support.

Pound Sterling/Euro

* Target calculation: 1.23 – ( 1.28 – 1.23 ) = 1.18

Canada’s Loonie (daily) is consolidating between $1.00 and $1.01 (USD).  Downward breakout — and penetration of the rising trendline — would warn of another test of primary support at $0.96. But 63-day Twiggs Momentum is bullish and a trough above zero would suggest an advance to the 2011 highs at $1.06.

Canadian Loonie/Aussie Dollar

Europe and FTSE testing resistance

Dow Jones Europe Index continues to consolidate between 250 and 265, testing primary resistance. Upward breakout would signal a primary advance to the 2011 high at 310. A 63-day Twiggs Momentum trough above zero would strengthen the signal.  Reversal below 250, however, would warn of another correction.

Dow Jones Europe Index

* Target calculation: 260 + ( 260 – 210 ) = 310

The FTSE 100 is similarly consolidating below 6000. Rising 13-week Twiggs Money Flow (above zero) indicates buying pressure. Expect strong resistance at 6000/6100. Breakout would offer a long-term target of 6750*.

FTSE 100 Index

* Target calculation: 6000 + ( 6000 – 5250 ) = 6750

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

The Euro rallied off support at $1.28 and is headed for resistance at $1.32. Recovery of 63-day Twiggs Momentum above zero suggests a primary up-trend. Breakout above $1.32 would confirm, offering an immediate target of the 2012 high at $1.35.

Euro/USD

* Target calculation: 1.32 + ( 1.32 – 1.28 ) = 1.36

Pound Sterling is testing primary support at €1.23 against the euro. Breach would signal a primary down-trend. Target for the completed head and shoulders reversal would be $1.18*. Reversal of 63-day Twiggs Momentum below zero would strengthen the signal.

Pound Sterling/Euro

* Target calculation: 1.23 – ( 1.28 – 1.23 ) = 1.18

Canada’s Loonie found strong support between $1.01 and $1.02 (USD).  Breakout would indicate an advance to the 2011 highs at $1.06. Rising 63-day Twiggs Momentum strengthens the signal.

Canadian Loonie/Aussie Dollar

The Aussie Dollar found support at $1.02/$1.015 against the greenback. Expect another test of $1.06. 63-Day Twiggs Momentum troughs above zero indicate a primary up-trend. Breakout above $1.06 would offer a target of the 2011 high at $1.10*, though there is bound to be some resistance at $1.08.

Aussie Dollar/USD

* Target calculation: 1.06 + ( 1.06 – 1.02 ) = 1.10

Forex: Euro recovers, Aussie & Sterling weaken

The Euro is headed for another re-test of resistance at $1.32 and its descending trendline. Breakout would signal a primary up-trend. Recovery of 63-day Twiggs Momentum above zero strengthens the signal. Reversal below $1.26 is unlikely but would warn of another test of primary support at $1.20.

Euro/USD

* Target calculation: 1.275 + ( 1.275 – 1.20 ) = 1.35

Pound Sterling is testing support at €1.23 against the Euro. Breach of support — and the rising trendline — would warn the primary up-trend is ending. Retreat of 63-day Twiggs Momentum below zero would strengthen the signal.

Pound Sterling/Euro

Canada’s Loonie is testing support against the greenback at $1.02/$1.01.  Respect of support — with recovery above $1.027 — would confirm the primary up-trend. A 63-day Twiggs Momentum trough above zero would strengthen the signal. Target for the advance is the 2011 high of $1.06.

Canadian Loonie/Aussie Dollar

* Target calculation: 1.04 +( 1.04 – 1.01 ) = 1.07

The Aussie Dollar found support at $1.02/$1.015 on the daily chart. Follow-through above $1.03 would suggest another test of $1.06. Failure of support is unlikely but would signal a primary down-trend. 63-Day Twiggs Momentum troughs above zero indicate continuation of the primary up-trend. Expect strong resistance at $1.06: the Aussie may be range-bound for some time.

Aussie Dollar/USD