Spread bets and CFDs are complex instruments and come with a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage. 71% of retail investor accounts lose money when spread betting and/or trading CFDs with this provider. You should consider whether you understand how spread bets and CFDs work and whether you can afford to take the high risk of losing your money.

Equities edge up, sterling still in focus

US equity markets fared better than their European counterparts as the major indices finished higher on the session, while the FTSE 100 eked out a small gain, while the DAX and CAC 40 closed slightly lower.

The trade tensions between the US and China still dominate the headlines. President Trump is confident he is doing the right course of action as the Chinse stock market has suffered so much in recent months, it is no longer the second-largest in the world. Washington DC and Beijing have been upping the ante recently, and it seems that neither side wants to back down, so the story is likely to hang over the markets.

Sterling has gone from bad to worse in the past few days. The Bank of England (BoE) had a dovish hike on Thursday, Mark Carney, the BoE governor, talked down the pound down on Friday as he warned about the possibility of a ‘no-deal’ Brexit. Sterling sold-off heavily yesterday after Secretary of international trade Liam Fox announced there is a 60-40 likelihood of the UK leaving the EU without a trade deal. Traders are terrified about the possibility of a ‘no-deal’ Brexit. The more we hear the phrase ‘no-deal Brexit’, the more likely the pound will be kept under the cosh. The British side might give off the impression off they would be content without a deal in order to force Brussel’s hand, and the pound could be in for a rocky ride in the near-term.

The euro took a knock after Germany posted terrible factory order numbers. The June report showed a 4% fall, which completely undershot the 0.4% fall that economists were expecting. It was the weakest reading since early 2017. The dismal update could be as a result of strained trading relations between the EU and the US .It is worth remembering that in recent weeks, Brussels and the Trump administration agreed to work together to remove tariffs, so the future figures may not be as gloomy.   

This morning at 7am (UK time), Germany will release the latest industrial output numbers and the consensus estimate is -0.5%, and that compares with a 2.6% rise in May. At the same time, Germany will release the latest trade figures, and economists are expecting a surplus of €20.1 billion, and that would be a slight decline on the May budget surplus of €20.3 billion. The trade report should be interesting given the negations between the EU and the US over trade.

EUR/USD – remains below the trend line from the June high, and while it remains below the 1.1720 area its outlook could remain negative. A break below the 1.1510 area, might bring about further losses. A move back above 1.1720, could bring 1.1850 into play. 

GBP/USD – has been in a downtrend since April, and if the bearish move continues it could target 1.2900. Pullbacks might run into resistance at 1.3219 – 50-day moving average, or 1.3363.      

EUR/GBP – has been pushing higher since April and if the bullish run continues it could target 0.8970. A move lower might find support at 0.8844 or at 0.8818 – 200-day moving average.

USD/JPY – the upward trend that began in March is still intact, and if the positive move continues it might target 113.18. Support might be found at 110.71 – 50-day moving average, or at 110.04 – the 200-day moving average.

CMC Markets is an execution-only service provider. The material (whether or not it states any opinions) is for general information purposes only, and does not take into account your personal circumstances or objectives. Nothing in this material is (or should be considered to be) financial, investment or other advice on which reliance should be placed. No opinion given in the material constitutes a recommendation by CMC Markets or the author that any particular investment, security, transaction or investment strategy is suitable for any specific person.


Disclaimer: CMC Markets is an execution-only service provider. The material (whether or not it states any opinions) is for general information purposes only, and does not take into account your personal circumstances or objectives. Nothing in this material is (or should be considered to be) financial, investment or other advice on which reliance should be placed. No opinion given in the material constitutes a recommendation by CMC Markets or the author that any particular investment, security, transaction or investment strategy is suitable for any specific person. The material has not been prepared in accordance with legal requirements designed to promote the independence of investment research. Although we are not specifically prevented from dealing before providing this material, we do not seek to take advantage of the material prior to its dissemination.

Before you go…

Try a demo of our Spread Betting or CFD trading accounts on our innovative platform. Free of charge and risk-free with virtual capital starting from €10,000.

cmc-mobile-trading-app