⬆️EURUSD Rebounds Following Weak US Data

A noticeable shift has taken place in the financial markets over the last few hours. The exchange rate of the major currency pair, EURUSD, recorded a sharp rebound after earlier, steeper declines briefly pushed it below the 1.16 level. The euro is currently gaining around 0.1% against the US dollar, trading around the 1.1630 mark. This move stems from a combination of disappointing macroeconomic data from the US, hawkish signals from the European Central Bank, and new developments on the geopolitical front.

Weaker US Macro Data and Inflation Relief

The main catalyst for the weakening of the greenback came from the latest macroeconomic releases from across the Atlantic, which cooled investors' hawkish fears:

• Disappointing GDP Growth: The US Bureau of Economic Analysis published its second revision of Q1 GDP, lowering the economic growth estimate to 1.6% from the previous 2.0%. The market widely expected the figure to hold steady at 2.0%.

• PCE Inflation In-Line with Expectations: The headline Personal Consumption Expenditures (PCE) price index, the Fed's preferred inflation gauge, rose to 3.8% year-over-year in April (up from 3.5% in March), which was fully in line with market consensus.

• Core PCE Stabilization: The Core PCE index (excluding food and energy prices) came in at 3.3% annually, also matching expectations. Furthermore, on a monthly basis, core inflation increased by 0.2%, coming in slightly below forecasts of 0.3%.

The Q1 GDP revision shows lower economic growth. The fact that the conflict with Iran was already underway in March may suggest that Q2 data will also face a substantial negative impact from this front. Source: Bloomberg Finance LP, XTB

PCE inflation rebounds in line with expectations. This stands in stark contrast to the CPI inflation release, which surprised investors with noticeably higher readings. Source: Bloomberg Finance LP

The fact that inflation did not surprise to the upside, despite a massive surge in commodity prices, brought relief to investors. Combined with the clear slowdown in GDP momentum, this translated into a decline in the dollar index. In-line inflation and weaker growth could damp market expectations regarding swift rate hikes from the Fed.

Hawkish ECB and Pressure on the Eurozone

While the US economy sends signs of cooling, information supporting the common currency is flowing in from Europe. The published account of the European Central Bank's April meeting (the so-called minutes) clearly indicates that pro-inflationary risk factors in the Eurozone have significantly intensified.

ECB officials highlighted mounting price pressures, suggesting that the European regulator may be forced to keep interest rates at restrictive levels for a longer period. The divergence in monetary policy outlooks between a potentially softer Fed and an inflation-wary ECB provided a strong impetus for the strengthening of the EURUSD. The market is currently pricing in a staggering 93% probability of an ECB hike in June.

Geopolitics: Sanctions and a Potential Nuclear Breakthrough

Concurrently, market attention remains focused on the Middle East. Energy commodity prices rose amid renewed clashes between US and Iranian forces in the Persian Gulf region. WTI crude oil surged by over 3% during the morning European session. The situation was further exacerbated by the decision of US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, who announced sanctions against a new Iranian institution that had unilaterally declared control over the Strait of Hormuz.

However, market sentiment improved following reports from Saudi Arabia’s Al Hadath news channel. According to these reports, Islamabad is set to propose a compromise to Washington under which Iranian uranium would be transferred to Beijing under strict international supervision. Such a diplomatic move could significantly de-escalate the regional conflict, shaving some risk premium off the markets and dampening the safe-haven demand for assets like the dollar. On the other hand, Trump recently stated that he does not want to agree to Iranian uranium ending up in either Russia or China.

Technical Outlook on EURUSD

The combination of lower-than-expected US economic growth data, a hawkish tone from the ECB, and a potential diplomatic breakthrough regarding the Iranian nuclear program provided solid ground for a sharp EURUSD rebound. Investors gained arguments suggesting that the US central bank will not be forced into immediate policy tightening.

The EURUSD closing with such a pronounced candlestick shadow could suggest that key support at the 1.16 level is holding, creating the potential to test resistance at the 50.0% retracement level.

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