Market Reaction to the ECB's Decision to Raise Rates to 4.5%

FXOpen

According to the ECB report, published yesterday:
→ Inflation in Europe continues to decline, but will remain too high for too long.
→ Average inflation is forecast at 5.6% in 2023, 3.2% in 2024 and 2.1% in 2025. This is an upward revision for 2023 and 2024, which mainly reflects rising energy prices.
→ The eurozone economy is forecast to grow by 0.7% in 2023, 1.0% in 2024 and 1.5% in 2025.

In order to combat inflation, the ECB decided to raise the key interest rate by 25 basis points to 4.5%, which was a surprise, since it was expected to remain at 4.25%. At the same time, the deposit rate reached a historical maximum.

Importantly, the ECB noted that "interest rates have reached levels that, maintained for a sufficiently long duration, will make a substantial contribution to the timely return of inflation to the target” — this was perceived by market participants as a signal that the growth cycle (10 rate increases in a row) is completed.

As a result, the euro fell in price. As the chart shows, at yesterday's low, the EUR/USD rate fell below the previous low set on May 31 at 1.06352. The sharp downward momentum was also supported by strong data on the US dollar (the dollar index yesterday reached its highest since the beginning of March):
→ retail sales increased by 0.6% (expected +0.4%);
→ the number of unemployment applications for the month amounted to 220k (226k were expected).

The ascending channel, shown in blue, looks completely broken. And the price fits more and more into the downward channel (shown in red). Will the euro be able to recover from yesterday's fall?

Bullish arguments:
→ oscillators indicate that the market is oversold. For example, the RSI is near the 30 level;
→ the price may be supported by the lower border of the descending channel;
→ the price also approached the support at 1.0521, which affected the price twice this year.

Although if inflation in Europe remains high, given rising energy prices, then bullish arguments may not be enough to change the bearish price dynamics.

Trade over 50 forex markets 24 hours a day with FXOpen. Take advantage of low commissions, deep liquidity, and spreads from 0.0 pips (additional fees may apply). Open your FXOpen account now or learn more about trading forex with FXOpen.

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

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

Cryptocurrencies

Why the CPI Release Matters for the Price of Bitcoin

The previous Consumer Price Index (CPI) report was published on 13 January and had a significant impact on Bitcoin’s price. As the BTC/USD chart shows:

→ shortly after the release, the price surged aggressively to the 14 January peak;

Indices

Nasdaq 100 May Retest This Year’s Low

As the chart of the Nasdaq 100 index (US Tech 100 mini on FXOpen) shows, bearish sentiment currently dominates the equity market. Yesterday, the technology index fell by around 2%.

Why Is the Nasdaq 100 Declining?

According to media reports,

Forex Analysis

Euro And Sterling Rally Slows After Strong US Data

At the start of the week, the euro and sterling posted solid gains amid dollar weakness and expectations of a more accommodative Federal Reserve policy path, testing local highs. However, the release of the January US employment report shifted market

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.