29/02/2012 Markets see the positive everywhere
EUR/USD
The US dollar continues the retreat started on Tuesday. The currency is declining while the markets generally remain optimistic, thus generating demand for risky assets. Yesterday’s data on investor sentiment supported the markets. Conference Board’s Index of Consumer Confidence has exceeded everyone’s expectations, having risen to 70.8 in February, the highest level in a year. The data on Durable Goods Orders and the S&P/Case-Shiller Home Price Index proved to be a bit disappointing. However, the orders largely increased over the previous months (4.2% in November, 3.2% in December), so together with the 4.2% decline in January the figures have restored to the trend levels. Housing prices in the U.S. remain low or in the downtrend. But it is no news as this trend has already been indicated in other reports. The Americans are not very enthusiastic about purchasing single-family homes; they look for more affordable offers, despite the low interest rates on mortgages and the opportunity of a lower down payment. Europe still remains in the limelight of traders and investors. Today we’ll see the results of the ECB’s 3-year auction repos. The sums close to the previous LTRO levels are seen as the most favourable for the markets. High figures will reflect the need for serious refinancing in Europe, and low ones will generate fears that the situation won’t change much in the long run and that the banks will remain highly dependent on the goodwill of the markets.
GBP/USD
The British pound managed to rise to 1.59 during yesterday’s trading, as we promised. Today, it is already trading above the 200-day moving average, which is actually the middle level of the year...
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