Category: UK & Europe

Posted on

Europe: Signs of a revival

Europe shows signs of a revival. Dow Jones Europe Index is testing resistance at 260. Breakout would signal a primary up-trend. Respect of the zero line by 13-week Twiggs Money Flow indicates long-term buying pressure. Target for the advance would be 310*.

Dow Jones Europe Index

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

FTSE 100 Index shows even stronger buying pressure on 13-week Twiggs Money Flow. Expect the correction to respect support at 5600, followed by an advance to 6100.

FTSE 100 Index

* Target calculation: 5700 + ( 5700 – 5200 ) = 6200

Posted on

Forex: Euro and Yen weaken while Rand recovers

The Euro is retreating to test medium-term support at $1.30 on the weekly chart. Failure would mean a fall to primary support at $1.25/$1.26. 63-Day Twiggs Momentum holding below zero reinforces the primary down-trend.

EURUSD

* Target calculation: 1.25 – ( 1.35 – 1.25 ) = 1.15

Pound Sterling is ranging between $1.5650 and $1.6000 against the greenback. Upward breakout would signal a primary up-trend but 63-Day Twiggs Momentum below zero continues to warn of the opposite.

GBPUSD

The dollar respected the new support level at 80 Japanese Yen. Breakout above ¥82 would confirm the primary up-trend, with an initial target of ¥85.

USDJPY

* Target calculation: 80 + ( 80 – 75 ) = 85

The Aussie Dollar continues to test support at R8.00 South African Rand. Failure would offer an initial target of R7.50, at the rising trendline. Momentum is falling sharply and reversal of 63-day Twiggs Momentum below zero would warn of a primary down-trend.

AUDZAR

Posted on

Spain Is Turning Into An Economic Tragedy

Marc Chandler: The new fiscal compact had just been signed last week, which includes somewhat more rigorous fiscal rule and enforcement, when Spain’s PM Rajoy revealed that this year’s deficit would come in around 5.8 percent of GDP rather the 4.4 percent target. This of course follows last year’s 8.5 percent overshoot of the 6 percent target.

The problem that for Spain is that the 4.4 percent target was based on forecasts for more than 2 percent growth this year. However, in late February, the EU cuts its forecast to a 1 percent contraction. This still seems optimistic. The IMF forecasts a 1.7 percent contraction, which the Spanish government now accepts.

This will be the third year in 5 that the Spanish economy contracts. Unemployment stands at an EU-high of 23.5 percent in February. The strong export growth seen in recent years, the best growth in the euro area, is stalling. Domestic demand has been hit by rising unemployment and government austerity…..

via Spain Is Turning Into An Economic Tragedy.

Posted on

UK & Europe: Italy threatens breakout

Italy’s MIB Index is testing resistance at 17,000 after several weeks narrow consolidation — signaling continuation of the up-trend. Rising 13-week Twiggs Money Flow indicates buying pressure.

MIB Index

* Target calculation: 17,000 + ( 17,000 – 14,000 ) = 20,000

Germany’s DAX is testing medium-term resistance at 7000. Upward breakout is likely and would indicate a test of 7500*.

DAX Index

* Target calculation: 6500 + ( 6500 – 5500 ) = 7500

The FTSE 100 Index also encountered resistance — as indicated by short candles below 6000 over the past four weeks and the triangle pattern on 13-week Twiggs Money Flow. Breakout above 6100 would signal a fresh primary advance, while reversal below the rising trendline would warn of a correction to primary support at 5000.

FTSE 100 Index

* Long-term target calculation: 6000 + ( 6000 – 5000 ) = 7000

Posted on

Forex: Europe and Japan

The Euro is in a primary down-trend despite the latest rally, headed for a test of the descending trendline. Expect retracement to test support at $1.32; breach of $1.30 would warn of another test of primary support (at $1.26).

Euro/US Dollar

* Target calculation: 1.32 – ( 1.42 – 1.32 ) = 1.22

Pound Sterling broke its descending trendline several weeks ago and is headed for a test of resistance at $1.62. Upward breakout is unlikely at present, but recovery of 63-day Twiggs Momentum above zero would be a bullish sign.

Pound Sterling/USD

The US Dollar is retracing to test the new support level after breaking long-term resistance at 80 Japanese Yen. Recovery of 63-day Twiggs Momentum above zero, after a long-term bullish divergence, indicates a primary up-trend. Expect a test of the 2011 high at ¥85.

US Dollar/Japanese Yen

* Target calculation: 80 + ( 80 – 75 ) = 85

Posted on

EconoMonitor : Note from Athens: Feeling on the Ground Has Palpably Changed

Despite the clear sense of despair and anger in Greece, politicians and members of the public continue to think that the alternative—default and EZ exit—would be even worse.

……Among the increasingly popular fringe left- and right-wing parties, the only party actually advocating a EZ exit is the communist party, or KKE. The KKE will have just over 10% of the vote in the election in April according to most estimates and refuses to cooperate with any other parties in a coalition. For now, the rest of the political establishment advocates doing whatever it takes to remain in the EZ.

….. most Greeks express desperation to stay in the EZ. This is reflected in recent opinion polls: according to a poll conducted in February for Skai TV and Kathimerini, 70% of respondents said a EZ exit and return to the drachma would make Greece’s situation worse and 61% said they viewed the euro favourably.

via EconoMonitor : RGE Analysts » Note from Athens: Feeling on the Ground Has Palpably Changed.

Posted on

ECB Allots €529.5 Billion in Long-Term Refinancing Operation – WSJ.com

LONDON—The European Central Bank said it handed out €529.5 billion $712.7 billion in cheap, three-year loans to 800 lenders, the central bank’s latest effort to arrest a financial crisis now entering its third year. Wednesday’s loans were on top of the €489 billion of similar loans the ECB dispensed to 523 banks in late December. The ECB’s goal is both to avoid an escalating crisis as banks struggle to pay off maturing debts and to mitigate a sharp pullback in bank lending to customers across ailing European economies……about two-thirds of the loans went to banks in three euro-zone countries — two in the “periphery,” likely Spain and Italy, and one in the “core,” likely France or Germany.

via ECB Allots €529.5 Billion in Long-Term Refinancing Operation – WSJ.com.

Posted on

The World from Berlin: ‘Europe is Pouring Money Into a Bottomless Barrel’ – SPIEGEL ONLINE – News – International

In an interview with SPIEGEL published on Monday, [Interior Minister Hans-Peter Friedrich] said: “Greece’s chances to regenerate itself and become competitive are surely greater outside the monetary union than if it remains in the euro area.” He added that he did not support a forced exit. “I’m not talking about throwing Greece out, but rather about creating incentives for an exit that they can’t pass up.” It was the first time a member of the German government called on Greece to leave the currency.

via The World from Berlin: ‘Europe is Pouring Money Into a Bottomless Barrel’ – SPIEGEL ONLINE – News – International.

Posted on

UK & Europe: Selling pressure

The FTSE 100 is running into resistance at 6000 — note the short weekly candles and bearish divergence on (medium-term) 21-day Twiggs Money Flow. Expect retracement to test the new band of support between 5600 and 5700. The primary trend, however, remains upward; so the target of 6100 is unchanged.

FTSE 100 Index

Germany’s DAX has also run into medium-term selling pressure, but remains in a strong primary up-trend with a target of 7500*.

DAX Index

* Target calculation: 6500 + ( 6500 – 5500 ) = 7500

Italy’s MIB Index is not yet in a primary up-trend, but narrow consolidation below 17000 suggests an upward breakout. Medium-term selling pressure is evident, however, even on the long-term 13-week Twiggs Money Flow, and failure of support at 16,000 would warn of another test of the primary band at 13,000 – 13,500.

MIB Index

* Target calculation: 17000 + ( 17000 – 14000 ) = 20000

Powered by WordPress / WordPress Maintenance Service By Website Helper