Quiet end to lively week
It’s shaping up to be a relatively peaceful end to what has been an otherwise action-packed week, with steady gains in Europe getting us off to a decent start.
European markets were relatively flat at the open but a batch of encouraging PMI numbers from the euro area has given stocks a bit of a lift. The euro is also edging higher on the back of the numbers, looking to build on the gains of the last couple of days and continue the march towards 1.14 against the dollar, where it could face stiff resistance. This has of course been aided by some Fed-driven weakness in the greenback, which will appease Trump, for now.
EURUSD Daily Chart
The PMI releases go against what had become quite a worrying trend and may spur some optimism that things are on the up. Of course, Germany’s manufacturing sector remains deep in contraction and the global economic outlook isn’t great so perhaps it’s still a little early for optimism. Still, it’s good news and good data at a time when it’s very much needed and may enable us to see the week out on a high.
The focus now switches to North America on the data front, with US manufacturing and services PMIs due, as well as Canadian retail sales. The trend again has not been too favorable in the US so perhaps a similar result will give us cause for optimism that doesn’t just come from central banks cutting rates.
