EUR/USD – Euro Subdued, U.S Markets Closed for Holiday

EUR/USD has posted slight gains in the Monday session. Currently, the pair is trading at 1.1644, down 0.03% on the day. There are no eurozone or U.S events on the schedule. U.S markets are closed for Memorial Day, so traders can expect a quiet day from the pair. On Tuesday, the U.S releases CB Consumer Confidence, which is expected to dip to 128.7 points.

Italian politics often provides dramatic moments, but even by Italian standards, the events on the weekend were truly extraordinary. Italy lurched into political crisis as President Sergio Mattarella vetoed the choice of economic minister by the two parties entrusted with forming a coalition, the League Nord and the Five Star Movement. Mattarella rejected the suggestion of Paolo Savona as economic minister, given that Savona is a firm critic of the euro and supports Italy exiting from the eurozone. The head of the Five Star Movement demanded that Mattarella be impeached, charging that the president was taking orders from Brussels. On Friday, Moody’s rating agency said that it could reduce Italy’s sovereign debt rating over fears of the new government’s fiscal policies. The current impasse may trigger new elections, which could sour investor sentiment and send the euro lower.

The ECB is scheduled to wind up its massive stimulus program in September, but weak growth in the first quarter has raised speculation that the bank could decide to extend the program, a tactic it has often used in the past. Still, most analysts believe that the ECB will go ahead and terminate stimulus, but there is more uncertainty regarding future rate hikes. Higher oil prices and a weaker euro will likely mean that inflation is moving upwards, but core inflation projections, which ECB policymakers are most interested in, are expected to remain below the ECB inflation target of just below 2 percent. Investors will be keeping a close look at upcoming rate statements, looking for clues regarding the wind-up of the stimulus scheme.

  Buckle in for an action-packed holiday-shortened week

EUR/USD Fundamentals

Monday (May 28)

• There are no Eurozone or U.S events

Tuesday (May 29)

• 4:00 Eurozone M3 Money Supply. Estimate 3.9%
• 4:00 Eurozone Private Loans. Estimate 3.2%
• 9:00 US S&P/CS Composite-20 HPI. Estimate 6.5%
• 10:00 US CB Consumer Confidence. Estimate 128.2

*All release times are DST

*Key events are in bold

EUR/USD for Monday, May 28, 2018

EUR/USD for May 28 at 5:25 DST

Open: 1.1648 High: 1.1728 Low: 1.1641 Close: 1.1644

EUR/USD Technical

EUR/USD edged higher in the Asian session but gave up these gains in European trade

• 1.1613 is providing support
• 1.1718 is the next line of resistance

Further levels in both directions:

• Below: 1.1613, 1.1448 and 1.1312
• Above: 1.1718, 1.1809, 1.1915 and 1.2025
• Current range: 1.1613 to 1.1718

OANDA’s Open Positions Ratio

EUR/USD ratio is showing little movement in the Monday session. Currently, long positions have a majority (57%), indicative of trader bias towards EUR/USD continuing to move higher.

This article is for general information purposes only. It is not investment advice or a solution to buy or sell securities. Opinions are the authors; not necessarily that of OANDA Corporation or any of its affiliates, subsidiaries, officers or directors. Leveraged trading is high risk and not suitable for all. You could lose all of your deposited funds.