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Contact Kara Crawford at kara@traderplanet.com for further details.en-ushttp://www.traderplanet.com/commentaries/view/134302-tensions_will_inevitably_remain_highhttp://www.traderplanet.com/commentaries/view/134302-tensions_will_inevitably_remain_high<p ><b><span >EUR/USD</span></b></p> <p >The Euro was confined to narrower ranges on Wednesday as technical factors tended to dominate with selling pressure an any approach to the 1.33 area against the dollar while retreats continued to attract firm buying support. </p> <p >Greek negotiations continued during the day while there were a series of rumours following the release of a framework document on how to reach agreement with the troika. After protracted negotiations, Prime Minister Papedemos announced that there was an outline d...</p><a href='http://www.traderplanet.com/commentaries/view/134302-tensions_will_inevitably_remain_high'>Read More at TraderPlanet.com &#187;</a><p align=center><a href=http://www.traderplanet.com/tradertube/index/744/?a=1072><img src=http://www.traderplanet.com/themes/trader_plain/gfx/firman.gif border=0 /></a></p> Darrell, TraderPlanet.comDarrell, TraderPlanet.comThu, 09 Feb 2012 13:54:52 +0000http://www.traderplanet.com/commentaries/view/134129-focus_on_greek_debt_negotiationshttp://www.traderplanet.com/commentaries/view/134129-focus_on_greek_debt_negotiations<p ><b><span >EUR/USD</span></b></p> <p >The Euro found support on dips to the 1.31 area in Europe on Tuesday and, after a spell of range trading, there was a renewed push higher in New York trading. A sharp decline in German industrial production did not have a sustained market impact.</p> <p >There was a continuing focus on Greek debt negotiations during the day and there were reports that the coalition parties had agreed on a framework for reforms. There was, however, no formal agreement and no press announcement while a Euro-gro...</p><a href='http://www.traderplanet.com/commentaries/view/134129-focus_on_greek_debt_negotiations'>Read More at TraderPlanet.com &#187;</a><p align=center><a href=http://www.traderplanet.com/tradertube/index/815/?a=1071><img src=http://www.traderplanet.com/themes/trader_plain/gfx/murphy.gif border=0 /></a></p> Darrell, TraderPlanet.comDarrell, TraderPlanet.comWed, 08 Feb 2012 13:58:46 +0000http://www.traderplanet.com/commentaries/view/133916-greek_discussions_continued_to_dominate_marketshttp://www.traderplanet.com/commentaries/view/133916-greek_discussions_continued_to_dominate_markets<p ><b><span >EUR/USD</span></b></p> <p >The Euro was unable to regain ground during the European session on Tuesday and dipped to lows in the 1.3025 area against the US dollar ahead of the US open.</p> <p >Greek discussions continued to dominate markets as the government attempted to reach an agreement on fresh austerity measures. Officials have already admitted that the second financing package will now probably need to be at least EUR145bn from EUR130bn previously. The troika has insisted that the Greek government will need to ma...</p><a href='http://www.traderplanet.com/commentaries/view/133916-greek_discussions_continued_to_dominate_markets'>Read More at TraderPlanet.com &#187;</a><p align=center><a href=http://www.traderplanet.com/tradertube/index/744/?a=1072><img src=http://www.traderplanet.com/themes/trader_plain/gfx/firman.gif border=0 /></a></p> Darrell, TraderPlanet.comDarrell, TraderPlanet.comTue, 07 Feb 2012 13:55:03 +0000http://www.traderplanet.com/commentaries/view/133729-us_data_was_much_stronger_than_expectedhttp://www.traderplanet.com/commentaries/view/133729-us_data_was_much_stronger_than_expected<p ><b><span >EUR/USD</span></b></p> <p >Consolidation was the dominant theme ahead of the US payroll data on Friday with the Euro unable to sustain a move to the 1.3180 area against the dollar. The Euro-zone PMI services data did not have a major impact as it confirmed that recovery was being led by Germany and France while Spain and Italy continued to falter despite some monthly improvement. The Euro-zone retail sales data was weaker than expected with a second successive 0.4% monthly decline.</p> <p >The US data was much stronger...</p><a href='http://www.traderplanet.com/commentaries/view/133729-us_data_was_much_stronger_than_expected'>Read More at TraderPlanet.com &#187;</a><p align=center><a href=http://www.traderplanet.com/tradertube/index/832/?a=1073><img src=http://www.traderplanet.com/themes/trader_plain/gfx/jobman.gif border=0 /></a></p> Darrell, TraderPlanet.comDarrell, TraderPlanet.comMon, 06 Feb 2012 13:51:09 +0000http://www.traderplanet.com/commentaries/view/133744-euro_driven_lower_by_investor_uncertaintyhttp://www.traderplanet.com/commentaries/view/133744-euro_driven_lower_by_investor_uncertainty<p>The March Euro futures contract is under pressure this morning, but still holding above last week's low at 1.3027. In fact, the market remains inside of a six day range formed by the January 27 top at 1.3237 and the February 1 bottom at 1.3027. The mid-point of this range is 1.3132. This price level should act as a pivot over the short-run. At this time, the single currency is on the bearish side of the tight formation.</p> <p>The longer the Euro stays inside this tight range, the more anxious trade...</p><a href='http://www.traderplanet.com/commentaries/view/133744-euro_driven_lower_by_investor_uncertainty'>Read More at TraderPlanet.com &#187;</a><p align=center><a href=http://www.traderplanet.com/tradertube/index/624/?a=1067><img src=http://www.traderplanet.com/themes/trader_plain/gfx/dinapoli.gif border=0 /></a></p> Hyerczyk, TraderPlanet.comHyerczyk, TraderPlanet.comMon, 06 Feb 2012 13:49:05 +0000http://www.traderplanet.com/commentaries/view/133428-further_downward_pressure_on_the_eurohttp://www.traderplanet.com/commentaries/view/133428-further_downward_pressure_on_the_euro<p ><b><span >EUR/USD</span></b></p> <p >The Euro spiked higher in European trading on Friday following media reports that China was considering investing in the EFSF and ESM, but it retreated quickly following a more cautious interpretation of the comments from German Chancellor Merkel.</p> <p >There was further downward pressure on the Euro following comments from Euro-group Head Juncker that the Greek debt restructuring situation was 'ultra-difficult'. Following numerous reports over the past week that a deal was extremely close,...</p><a href='http://www.traderplanet.com/commentaries/view/133428-further_downward_pressure_on_the_euro'>Read More at TraderPlanet.com &#187;</a><p align=center><a href=http://www.traderplanet.com/tradertube/index/744/?a=1072><img src=http://www.traderplanet.com/themes/trader_plain/gfx/firman.gif border=0 /></a></p> Darrell, TraderPlanet.comDarrell, TraderPlanet.comFri, 03 Feb 2012 13:49:06 +0000http://www.traderplanet.com/commentaries/view/133288-iran_oil_war_and_the_u_s_housing_markethttp://www.traderplanet.com/commentaries/view/133288-iran_oil_war_and_the_u_s_housing_market<p >Can you hear it? It is faint, but the beat is growing, and the sound coming our way could have a big impact on the market. Listen, the drumbeat for war is getting a bit louder, and if you have been listening to the republicans running for president, you most certainly have heard the beat.</p> <p ><i>The United States should deploy ships, step up covert activities, and sharpen its rhetoric to make more credible the threat of a U.S. military strike to stop Iran's nuclear program, a bipartisan group said o...</i></p><a href='http://www.traderplanet.com/commentaries/view/133288-iran_oil_war_and_the_u_s_housing_market'>Read More at TraderPlanet.com &#187;</a><p align=center><a href=http://www.traderplanet.com/tradertube/index/834/?a=1070><img src=http://www.traderplanet.com/themes/trader_plain/gfx/wyckoff.gif border=0 /></a></p> tradered, TraderPlanet.comtradered, TraderPlanet.comThu, 02 Feb 2012 17:09:30 +0000http://www.traderplanet.com/commentaries/view/133190-us_adp_employment_report_was_slightly_weaker_than_expectedhttp://www.traderplanet.com/commentaries/view/133190-us_adp_employment_report_was_slightly_weaker_than_expected<p ><b><span >EUR/USD</span></b></p> <p >The Euro continued to recover ground during the European session on Wednesday and was eventually able to retest resistance levels above 1.32 against the dollar, although the prime market influence tended to be US weakness rather than Euro strength.</p> <p >The Euro-zone PMI manufacturing index edged higher in the final reading with Germany a notable gainer. Optimism was tempered by the fact that indices in Greece, Spain and Italy all remained substantially below the 50 threshold. The flash Eu...</p><a href='http://www.traderplanet.com/commentaries/view/133190-us_adp_employment_report_was_slightly_weaker_than_expected'>Read More at TraderPlanet.com &#187;</a><p align=center><a href=http://www.traderplanet.com/tradertube/index/834/?a=1070><img src=http://www.traderplanet.com/themes/trader_plain/gfx/wyckoff.gif border=0 /></a></p> Darrell, TraderPlanet.comDarrell, TraderPlanet.comThu, 02 Feb 2012 13:53:26 +0000http://www.traderplanet.com/commentaries/view/133202-euro_finishes_january_with_closing_price_reversal_bottomhttp://www.traderplanet.com/commentaries/view/133202-euro_finishes_january_with_closing_price_reversal_bottom<p>Entering February traders have two choices. They can either start the month with selling pressure that may retrace 50 percent of the January rally or even further, or they can take out last month's high at 1.3233 and trigger another rally into the major retracement zone at 1.3781 to 1.4055. The chart picture has been laid out clearly, but the number of traders still pressing the market indicates that the Euro is still under the control of the short traders. It seems like it is going to take a...</p><a href='http://www.traderplanet.com/commentaries/view/133202-euro_finishes_january_with_closing_price_reversal_bottom'>Read More at TraderPlanet.com &#187;</a><p align=center><a href=http://www.traderplanet.com/tradertube/index/832/?a=1073><img src=http://www.traderplanet.com/themes/trader_plain/gfx/jobman.gif border=0 /></a></p> Hyerczyk, TraderPlanet.comHyerczyk, TraderPlanet.comThu, 02 Feb 2012 13:20:38 +0000http://www.traderplanet.com/commentaries/view/133186-euro_fails_once_again_at_fibonacci_resistancehttp://www.traderplanet.com/commentaries/view/133186-euro_fails_once_again_at_fibonacci_resistance<p>The March Euro futures contract is trading lower overnight after testing Fibonacci resistance for the fifth consecutive day at 1.3204. On the downside, the 50 percent retracement level of the 1.3581 to 1.2627 at 1.3094 is the key support. Both of these levels have taken on the characteristics of a pivot price. In other words, a trade above 1.3204 is likely to attract the attention of bullish traders while a trade through 1.3094 will be noticed by the bears.</p> <p>The uptrending Gann angle at 1.3187...</p><a href='http://www.traderplanet.com/commentaries/view/133186-euro_fails_once_again_at_fibonacci_resistance'>Read More at TraderPlanet.com &#187;</a><p align=center><a href=http://www.traderplanet.com/tradertube/index/624/?a=1067><img src=http://www.traderplanet.com/themes/trader_plain/gfx/dinapoli.gif border=0 /></a></p> Hyerczyk, TraderPlanet.comHyerczyk, TraderPlanet.comThu, 02 Feb 2012 10:48:23 +0000http://www.traderplanet.com/commentaries/view/133114-stocks_too_expensive_not_in_europehttp://www.traderplanet.com/commentaries/view/133114-stocks_too_expensive_not_in_europe<p>With the <strong><strong><strong>Standard &amp; Poor's 500</strong></strong></strong> Index off to its best January in 15 years, it's getting tougher to find cheap stocks in the United States. But it's not much of a problem in Europe.</p> <p>Sovereign default worries have made the region's shares the cheapest they've been to American investors since 2004.</p> <p>Companies in the <strong><strong><strong>S&amp;P Europe 350</strong></strong></strong> are trading at around 10 times earnings for 2012, compared to 12.2 for the S&amp;P 500. That means investors are getting a 20 percent-plus discount for looking across the po...</p><a href='http://www.traderplanet.com/commentaries/view/133114-stocks_too_expensive_not_in_europe'>Read More at TraderPlanet.com &#187;</a><p align=center><a href=http://www.traderplanet.com/tradertube/index/815/?a=1071><img src=http://www.traderplanet.com/themes/trader_plain/gfx/murphy.gif border=0 /></a></p> profitimes, TraderPlanet.comprofitimes, TraderPlanet.comWed, 01 Feb 2012 20:49:58 +0000http://www.traderplanet.com/commentaries/view/133076-hope_withers_for_february_market_breakouthttp://www.traderplanet.com/commentaries/view/133076-hope_withers_for_february_market_breakout<p >Today is the first day of February, right? Yeh, I thought so, but I wasn't sure when the market opened this morning and all three major indices jumped up, reaching toward 52-week highs, and the NASDAQ stepped into territory it has not seen in 11 years. The reason I wasn't sure is the headline of this column. As I read the words "Hope Withers" in the headline of an article, fear filled my very being and I expected the market to drop, perhaps significantly. So, even in in my fear-gripped state,...</p><a href='http://www.traderplanet.com/commentaries/view/133076-hope_withers_for_february_market_breakout'>Read More at TraderPlanet.com &#187;</a><p align=center><a href=http://www.traderplanet.com/tradertube/index/744/?a=1072><img src=http://www.traderplanet.com/themes/trader_plain/gfx/firman.gif border=0 /></a></p> tradered, TraderPlanet.comtradered, TraderPlanet.comWed, 01 Feb 2012 17:18:19 +0000http://www.traderplanet.com/commentaries/view/132986-no_greek_deal_with_private_creditorshttp://www.traderplanet.com/commentaries/view/132986-no_greek_deal_with_private_creditors<p ><span ><strong>EUR/USD</strong></span></p> <p >The Euro held steady in the first part of the European session on Tuesday and again challenged levels above 1.32, but it was unable to make fresh highs. Although the German unemployment data was better than expected with a decline of over 30,000 for December, the other data was less favourable as German and French spending declined while Euro-zone unemployment as a whole was a record 10.4% as the Italian jobless rate rose sharply.</p> <p >Despite initial optimism, there was no Greek deal with...</p><a href='http://www.traderplanet.com/commentaries/view/132986-no_greek_deal_with_private_creditors'>Read More at TraderPlanet.com &#187;</a><p align=center><a href=http://www.traderplanet.com/tradertube/index/815/?a=1071><img src=http://www.traderplanet.com/themes/trader_plain/gfx/murphy.gif border=0 /></a></p> Darrell, TraderPlanet.comDarrell, TraderPlanet.comWed, 01 Feb 2012 14:11:07 +0000http://www.traderplanet.com/commentaries/view/132763-dollar_managed_to_secure_some_recovery_from_losseshttp://www.traderplanet.com/commentaries/view/132763-dollar_managed_to_secure_some_recovery_from_losses<p ><b><span >EUR/USD</span></b></p> <p >The Euro remained generally on the defensive during Monday and dipped to lows near 1.3070 during US trading as the dollar also managed to secure some recovery from losses late last week.</p> <p >There was still no agreement between the Greek government and private-sector creditors which undermined confidence, especially as the Euro-zone continued to take a hard line on any additional support for Greece which increased default fears. Chancellor Merkel's stance was that Germany would not back a...</p><a href='http://www.traderplanet.com/commentaries/view/132763-dollar_managed_to_secure_some_recovery_from_losses'>Read More at TraderPlanet.com &#187;</a><p align=center><a href=http://www.traderplanet.com/tradertube/index/744/?a=1072><img src=http://www.traderplanet.com/themes/trader_plain/gfx/firman.gif border=0 /></a></p> Darrell, TraderPlanet.comDarrell, TraderPlanet.comTue, 31 Jan 2012 13:48:40 +0000http://www.traderplanet.com/commentaries/view/132565-sharp_drop_in_portuguese_lendinghttp://www.traderplanet.com/commentaries/view/132565-sharp_drop_in_portuguese_lending<p ><b><span >EUR/USD</span></b></p> <p >The Euro found support on dips to just below the 1.31 level against the dollar during Friday and pushed higher again during the US session. There were further suggestions that a Greek private-sector debt deal was in prospect, but there were no announcements of an agreement during Friday or over the weekend.</p> <p >The headline US GDP data was slightly weaker than expected with a fourth-quarter GDP increase of 2.8% compared with expectations of a 3.0% increase. The breakdown of the data also ...</p><a href='http://www.traderplanet.com/commentaries/view/132565-sharp_drop_in_portuguese_lending'>Read More at TraderPlanet.com &#187;</a><p align=center><a href=http://www.traderplanet.com/tradertube/index/744/?a=1072><img src=http://www.traderplanet.com/themes/trader_plain/gfx/firman.gif border=0 /></a></p> Darrell, TraderPlanet.comDarrell, TraderPlanet.comMon, 30 Jan 2012 13:50:23 +0000