News & Analysis / Analysis / Decisive Week Ahead for the ECB and the Euro

Decisive Week Ahead for the ECB and the Euro

FXOpen

The first week of the month ended up with the Non-Farm Payrolls (NFP) in the United States showing a strong rebound of the US labor market. The NFP report revealed that the job market added double the number of jobs that the economists forecasted. As such, the perspective of a faster than expected recovery is not an illusion anymore but a fact.

On top of that, the White House announced that the US will have a vaccine available for every adult by the end of April this year. This puts the US economy in front when it comes to the economic recovery after the pandemic, as the vaccines appear to be effective and the rest of the world lags in its vaccination efforts.

Unsurprisingly, the US dollar gained across the board. The USDJPY closed the week above 108, the EURUSD pair fell to 1.19, and even the AUDUSD dropped three big figures from its 0.80 highs.

While the previous week was exciting, as all NFP weeks are, the week ahead is even more interesting. The name of the game this week is what the European Central Bank (ECB) will do at its Thursday meeting.

Decisive Week Ahead for the ECB and the Euro

ECB in Focus This Week

The euro area economies did not perform so well as the United States economy did. Just the opposite. In Europe, the COVID-19 pandemic hit the economies multiple times, with two or three pandemic waves resulting in more deaths than expected. As a consequence, most of the economies were closed for most of last year and in 2021 as well.

So, when the US is thinking of the economic growth ahead, Europe barely deals with the pandemic. The European Commission failed to secure vaccines for its population, and the speed of administering the existing ones is much slower than anything we have seen in other countries (e.g., United States, United Kingdom, Israel). Like it or not, the difference will be seen in the economic performances in the period ahead, and Europe is poised to lag its rivals.

More problematic for the ECB is the tightening of long-term yields in the United States. The move higher in the US yields, which are the benchmark for risk-free rates in the world, triggered a similar move in other jurisdictions – e.g., the Bund yields in Germany are on the rise too.

Decisive Week Ahead for the ECB and the Euro

Higher yields signal economic recovery. While in the US, higher yields are a logical market reaction to the improved economic picture and the fast vaccination rate, in Europe, higher yields bring a challenge. When yields are rising, financial conditions tighten. This is a problem for the ECB, as it does not want tightening conditions while the economy continues to underperform.

Hence, Thursday’s ECB meeting is crucial for the ECB and the euro. On the one hand, the ECB must act to wind down the unwanted tightening. On the other hand, the EURUSD exchange rate keeps trading in a tight correlation with the equity markets in the United States. Should the ECB expand the asset-buying program (i.e., PEPP), the EURUSD may fall much lower than the current levels.

This article represents the opinion of the Companies operating under the FXOpen brand only. It is not to be construed as an offer, solicitation, or recommendation with respect to products and services provided by the Companies operating under the FXOpen brand, nor is it to be considered financial advice.

Stay ahead of the market!

Subscribe now to our mailing list and receive the latest market news and insights delivered directly to your inbox.

forex

Instrument
Live ECN bid
Live ECN ask
Action
EURUSD
1.10073
1.10075
Trade
GBPUSD
1.31584
1.31585
Trade
AUDUSD
0.63340
0.63343
Trade
USDJPY
146.998
147.001
Trade
USDCAD
1.41228
1.41230
Trade
More
Forex Trading with FXOpen

Forex Trading with FXOpen

Experience ECN technology for deep liquidity and light-speed trade execution

  • Access over 50 markets
  • Trade with spreads from 0.0 pips
  • Take advantage of commissions from $1.50/lot
Learn more

Latest articles

Forex Analysis

USD/CHF Falls to Its Lowest Level in Nearly Five Months

Today, the exchange rate of one US dollar against the Swiss franc dropped below 0.87000 francs—its lowest level since early November 2024.

Since the start of 2025, the USD/CHF pair has declined by more than 4%.

Why

Indices

S&P 500 Index Hits 2025 Low Following Trump's Tariff Announcement

As shown on the S&P 500 Index (US SPX 500 mini on FXOpen) chart, the benchmark US stock index dropped below 5,450 points for the first time in 2025. This decline reflects the US stock market’s

Forex Analysis

Interest in the Dollar Declines Amid Trump's Escalating Trade Wars

The tariffs introduced by Trump yesterday on imports from various countries—20% on the EU, 34% on China, and 46% on Vietnam—have heightened uncertainty in the currency markets. As expected, these measures have contributed to increased volatility in major

CFDs are complex instruments and come with a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage.CFDs are complex instruments and come with a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage. 60% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs with this provider. You should consider whether you understand how CFDs work, and whether you can afford to take the high risk of losing your money.