David Kohl, (Chief Currency Economist, Julius Baer) / US growth superiority continues for longer than expected. The economic headwinds caused by measures to contain the spreading of the coronavirus are stronger for the Eurozone than for the US and support safe-haven currencies. We have adjusted our 3-month euro forecast down while being slightly more constructive for the JPY.
The ECB recently published a paper in which it reviews its monetary policy over the last 20 years. Among other points, the central bank says that interest rates in EMU countries could deepen further into negative territory before being counterproductive.
Monex Europe | The euro’s fortunes turned sour in 2019 despite the year starting with a positive outlook.
The inflation data for March will be the key publication of this week. With the market discounting a 0.1% drop in the main figure, Ebury analysts believe that a 1% inflation would be enough to drive a modest rebound in the euro from its current position.
Where the euro may go in 2018 is such a central question and will have implications for global asset markets around the world. Christopher Gannatti, head of research at Wisdom Tree, thinks that “forecasting currencies is very much like putting together a puzzle”, at times requiring just as much art as data.
The Euro was by far the best performing G10 currency in 2017, returning 15 % over the period. ETF Securities’ analysts expect that the Euro should end Q1 2018 under the 1.20 level, broadly in line with Bloomberg consensus estimates of 1.19. However, they think “this displays the downside risk to the Euro remain elevated”.
James Alexander | As some debate raged in the corridors of the ECB about both Draghi’s successor and over when and how to end the QE for the EUR, the common currency remained strong, helping keep the USD weak.
“In principal, the euro is a good idea. The aim is to create a big economic space without any monetary barriers, like the US. But a common space implies that member states are prepared to take each other into consideration as far as their economic, financial and wage policies are concerned,” says Peter Bofinger, one of the five ‘wise men’ who make up the German Council of Economic Experts.
In Sober Look, Marcello Minenna gives us a clue about a possible new breach in the euro’s structure. A few years ago (2011-2012), when the euro was going through its worst time, one of the consequences was that the central banks in the peripheral countries increased their debt position with TARGET2.
Banco Santander S.A. (SAN) stock reached year maximums (+2.5% to €4.69) after the bank reported its Q1 results on Wednesday. Despite a 5% net profit decline in Q1 to €1.63bn (mostly due to the depreciation of various currencies against the euro), Spain’s largest bank by market value beat expectations.