By FX Empire.com

Economic Events: (GMT)

Please check the daily forecast for details on all economic events.

Major Economic Events of the Week

Feb. 14

10:00

EUR

German ZEW Economic Sentiment

13:30

USD

Core Retail Sales (MoM)

13:30

USD

Retail Sales (MoM)

Feb. 15

07:00

EUR

German GDP (QoQ)

09:30

GBP

Claimant Count Change

10:30

GBP

BoE Inflation Report

10:30

GBP

BoE Gov King Speaks

19:00

USD

FOMC Meeting Minutes

Feb. 16

13:30

USD

Initial Jobless Claims

Feb. 17

09:00

EUR

German Ifo Business Climate Index

09:30

GBP

Retail Sales (MoM)

12:00

CAD

Core CPI (MoM)

13:30

USD

Core CPI (MoM)

13:30

USD

CPI (MoM)

Historical:

Highest: 1.2336 EUR on 29 Jun 2010.

Average: 1.1548 EUR over this period.

Lowest: 1.0686 EUR on 13 Oct 2009.

EUR/GBP Weekly Fundamental Analysis February 13-17, 2012, Forecast

EUR/GBP Weekly Fundamental Analysis February 13-17, 2012, Forecast

Rule:

EUR/GBP: The cross tends to move in ranges, with relatively clear barriers. The narrower ranges made it somewhat harder, but it seems to return to wider ranges. The GBP is does not seem to move in response to the EUR as directly currently. The UK austerity program vs. The EU debt crisis seems to have them moving in opposing distances. They are developing new trading personalities and there is a good deal of profit to be made trading this pair. They can be volatile.

Characteristics
Average broker spread: 2-3 pips
Daily range average : 25-50 pips

What moves EUR/GBP?

  • The interest rate differential between the European Bank(ECB) and the Bank of England(BoE)
  • European and UK economic data
  • Growth differentials between the Euro zone and UK


Trading the EUR/GBP

Applying Technical Analysis and Analyzing Fundamental News from the Euro and UK zone. EUR/GBP is excellent for the beginning forex trader because it’s low volatility.

Analysis and Recommendations

The EUR/GBP followed the trend this week 0.8376. This pair like its cousins the USD/GBP, reacted mostly to Greek news all week.

The euro continues to move based on comments and news regarding Greece. The BoE initiated additional QE adding 75billion pounds and holding rates. BoE Director King was also negative on the UK economy and the effects of austerity measures.

Otherwise it was all about Greece and will continue to be so this week.

News this morning said that Greece had passed legislation demanded by the EU, but that is not to say it will be implemented or successful. The politicians had no choice and many resigned over the issue.

The Greek Finance Minister was sent packing back to Greece. The original news stated that the EU was demanding final legislation of the austerity measures before they would consider the approval of the bailout and that they did not want promises. Further news seemed to indicate that the political agreements were short, even with the ECB’s added contributions and agreements to reduce their asset valued.

Most recent reports said that Germany made it clear that Greece missed its debt target and must increase its austerity measures to qualify for the second economic bailout package.

The German Finance Ministry went on to state, “The Greek offer is not sufficient and they have to go away to come back with a revised plan.”

The Strength

1) Initial Jobless Claims fall to 358k, 12k less than expected and the 4 week average drops to 366k, the least since May ’08
2) Job Openings in monthly BLS data rise to match the highest since Sept ’08
3) MBA said avg 30 yr mortgage rate falls to new low of 4.05% and refi’s jump 9.4%
4) German Factory Orders in Dec rise a bit more than expected
5) China’s PPI moderates to a gain of just .7% y/o/y, the slowest rate since Nov ’09
6) Indonesia unexpectedly cuts rates to 5.75% while RBA and SK sit pat

The Weakness

1) Greece on brink, AGAIN, unemployment rate in Nov hits 20.9% from 18.2% in Oct
2) German exports in Dec, the main driver of their economy, falls 4.3% m/o/m vs an expected decline of just 1%, German IP falls 3% vs est of flat from Nov
3) Euros being redeposited with the ECB overnight remain around 500b, matching the amount borrowed under the LTRO
4) BoE votes for more QE, brings asset purchase program up to 325b pounds.

Weekly Economic Reports forecast v. actual

Feb. 06

15:00

CAD

Ivey PMI

64.1

57.8

63.5

Feb. 07

03:30

AUD

Interest Rate Decision

4.25%

4.00%

4.25%

03:30

AUD

RBA Rate Statement

15:00

USD

Fed Chairman Bernanke Testifies

Feb. 08

21:45

NZD

Unemployment Rate

6.3%

6.5%

6.6%

Feb. 09

01:30

CNY

Chinese CPI (YoY)

4.5%

4.0%

4.1%

12:00

GBP

Interest Rate Decision

0.50%

0.50%

0.50%

12:45

EUR

Interest Rate Decision

1.00%

1.00%

1.00%

13:30

USD

Initial Jobless Claims

358K

370K

373K

13:30

EUR

ECB Press Conference

Feb. 10

13:30

CAD

Trade Balance

2.7B

0.7B

1.2B

13:30

USD

Trade Balance

-48.8B

-48.4B

-47.1B

Sovereign Bond Auction Schedule Feb 13-17

Feb 13 10:10 Italy BOT auction

Feb 13 10:10 Norway T-bill auction

Feb 13 10:30 Germany Eur 4.0bn Aug 2012 Bubill

Feb 13 12:00 Norway Details bond auction on Feb 20

Feb 14 09:30 Netherlands Eur 3.0bn-4.0bn Jan 2017 DSL

Feb 14 09:30 Spain 12 & 18M T-bill auction

Feb 14 10:10 Greece 3M T-bill auction

Feb 14 10:10 Italy BTP/CCTeu auction

Feb 14 10:30 Belgium Auctions 3 & 12M T-bills

Feb 15 10:10 Sweden Auctions T-bills

Feb 15 10:30 Portugal Eur 1.5-1.75bn May & Aug T-bills

Feb 16 09:30 Spain Obligacion auction

Feb 16 10.30 UK Auctions 4.5% 2034 conventional Gilt

Feb 16 10:50 France BTA/OATi auction

Feb 16 16:00 US

Announces auctions of 2Y Notes on Feb 21, 5Y Notes on Feb

22 & 7Y Notes on Feb 23

Feb 16 18:00 US Auctions 30Y TIPS

Originally posted here