EUR/USD surges after ECB rate hike

• ECB raises rates by 25-basis points
• EUR settles down after soaring over 1% on Thursday

EUR/USD is trading at 1.0948 in Europe, almost unchanged on the day. On Thursday, the euro surged 1.05% in the aftermath of the ECB rate hike.

ECB hikes and signals more rate increases coming

The ECB raised rates by 25 basis points on Thursday, bringing the benchmark rate to 3.50%, the highest level since 2001. The markets were not surprised by the move but ECB President Lagarde’s hawkish comments following the rate announcement may have surprised some and the euro responded with massive gains.

In her press conference, Lagarde said that barring a material change, it was “very likely” that the ECB would continue raising rates in July. Lagarde dampened any thoughts of a pause, even though the eurozone economy remains fragile and growth is expected to be weak. Headline inflation has been falling sharply in the eurozone, as energy prices have fallen. This is positive news, but the ECB is more concerned about core inflation, which is a better gauge of where inflation is headed. The core rate, which excludes energy prices, has been stickier than expected. Inflation has also cooled due to the ECB’s rate tightening, but the current rate of 6.1% is far too high for the central bank, which is likely to hike again in July.

The Federal Reserve’s dramatic decision on Wednesday contained two important aspects. First, the Fed took a breather and held rates after 10 straight rate increases. Second, the Fed signalled that the pause did not indicate the end of the current rate-tightening cycle, as the Fed was projecting two more hikes in the second half of the year. Fed Chair Powell reiterated in his press conference that the inflation battle “has a long way to go” and there is every indication that Powell will keep hammering away with rate hikes until inflation falls to the 2% target.

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EUR/USD Technical

• There is resistance at 1.1050 and 1.1147
• 1.0922 and 1.0854 are providing support

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