FED Meeting Outcome - 17th June 2015

Consistent with what i have been saying, despite Ms. Janet Yellen indicating that Interest Rates would be hiked one to two times this year, the markets did not react in a dollar positive manner. Usually an interest rate hike makes the currency stronger. An anticipation of a rate hike also makes the currency stronger. This as we can see has not happened in the case of the USD yesterday, rather whole focus is on the Euro. I have been saying that the market has already played the role of a discounting mechanism as far as US interest rate hikes are concerned and will not react to interest rate hikes.

Euro on the other hand is the major focus of the market. Today the Finance Minsters of Europe meet up to decide the fate of Greece. In case there is a default on the part of Greece then this would be the first default on an IMF loan by a first world country. Great Article on this in the telegraph of today...
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/economics/11682277/Greeks-admit-they-will-default-at-the-end-of-the-month-as-central-bank-turns-on-government.html

One must also look at the crosses since yesterdays movements were good on the GBP as well as the YEN. Both moved considerably more then other counters. Gold also reacted well to yesterdays events.

I would look at 1.1180 as a buy in EUR/USD.
GBP/USD still has a long way to go but might take a breather for now.
USD/JPY is a good short.
USD/INR - i expect USD/INR to continue to remain weak. Anywhere above 64.50 can start to short USD/INR which is likely to continue to strengthen throughout out this to the next year.

Will put up charts by the of this week. Waiting for more clearer direction on Crude.

US Dollar Analysis - Part 1

Some factors contributing to the strength of the US dollar are:

1. Greece repayments which is keeping pressure on the EURO.
2. Interest Rate scenario in the US. FED is expected to increase interest rates soon.
3. An overall improvement in the US economy since last year.
4. Interest rate scenario in Euro zone and in England.
5. USDX Analysis (US Dollar Index)

Greece is expected to make the next payment in June, which Greece is already refusing to pay. This keeps pressure on the Euro. Currently the Euro made a low of 1.0418 against the dollar in the month of Mar 2015. Due to the Greece situation the Euro is likely to lose strength once again, though I doubt it will make a new low. I would expect Euro to make a low of about 1.0480 or higher and then reverse. However markets have a tendency to take one by surprise and one cant rule out a new low.

Interest Rate Scenario in the US is likely to change as the FED has indicated it will resort to raising interest rates. However for now, OIL prices are low, and the US economy is better but downward pressures still persist. In anticipation of rising interest rates the market has already moved in favor of the US Dollar. I therefore believe that when the FED actually starts hiking interest rates. the US dollar will actually weaken. Traditionally a rule of thumb on the US interest rate hikes is that if the FED hikes interest rates 3 times in a row, the US economy actually enters a recession. 

US economy has improved over the last two years but the recovery is still fragile. Any shock or disturbance could push the economy back again. 

Euro zone is unlikely to hike interest rates for some time. UK has got a full majority government which bodes well for the UK economy but implementing programs to boost the economy will take time and till then the Economy will remain weak. Like the Euro we can expect the Pound to weaken further though the Pound is in a better position then the Euro. I would expect a low of 1.5150 at the most for the Pound.

I would also like to mention the YEN here. I expect at the most 123.80 on the top side for YEN. I don't expect YEN to weaken any further. The Japanese economy has been showing some signs of improvement. The Japanese Economy is expected to continue its strength into the next year. The Japanese Yen is already too weak and a weaker YEN will not make anyone happy. 

US Dollar Index: I expect the US dollar index to test its previous high of 100.32. It might actually make new high. If that happens one can expect all other counters to make new lows.

Summary: To summarize i expect Dollar Strength to continue further to around the third quarter of this year. By the end of the year the trend will reverse. I find the USD looking for a top which means that all other counters should be reversing around the end of the year. 

GBPUSD-Buy Signal