Waiting for the release of US unemployment news data | 06 September 2024

An event to look out for today:

15:30 GMT+3. USD - Unemployment Rate

EURUSD:

EUR/USD posted a second consecutive day of gains on Thursday, breaking above 1.1100 as markets actively sold off the US Dollar ahead of Friday's highly anticipated US Non-Farm Payrolls (NFP) report. Markets are looking for further signs that the Federal Reserve (Fed) is ready for an initial rate cut and the start of a rate-cutting cycle in September, but US data must continue to soften to keep hopes of a rate cut high.

European economic data did not provide additional support for the Euro after July's EU retail sales data fell short of expectations. Annualised retail sales came in worse than expected at -0.1% for the year ended July, falling short of the expected 0.1% uptick compared to a revised previous decline of -0.4%.

According to ADP, the US added 99k new jobs in August, down from July's revised 111k and well below the 145k expected. The August ADP figure was the lowest since early 2021, triggering a new round of risk aversion and reigniting investor fears that the US may be heading into recession.

The ADP employment report serves as an indicator of what markets can expect from Friday's upcoming US NFP report, although it has a shaky reputation for accuracy. The August NFP report is the last significant employment update before the upcoming Federal Reserve (Fed) meeting on 18 September, when Fed policymakers are expected to begin the rate-cutting cycle. NFP is expected to come in at 160k on Friday, up from 114k the previous month.

According to CME data, the betting markets are currently betting on a 40% chance that the Fed will open the door by cutting rates by 50 bps later this month. The remaining 60% are betting on a more modest 25bp rate cut. Investors expect the NFP data released this Friday to gauge the depth of the Fed's first rate cut since its 100bp cut in March 2020.

Trading recommendation: Trade predominantly with Buy orders from the current price level

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