EUR/USD Price Forecast: Weakens below 1.1600, further consolidation cannot be ruled out
- EUR/USD softens to around 1.1575 in Wednesday’s early European session.
- Further consolidation cannot be ruled out with directionless RSI momentum.
- The first upside barrier emerges at 1.1600; the initial support level to watch is 1.1565.
The EUR/USD pair loses traction to near 1.1575 during the early European session on Wednesday. The US Dollar (USD) strengthens against the Euro (EUR) amid hawkish Federal Reserve (Fed) stance and escalating Middle East geopolitical tensions. Traders will keep an eye on the Eurozone Retail Sales and US employment data, which are due on Friday.
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) claimed it has launched a “heavy” ballistic missile attack on Prince Hassan airbase and a US Marine base in Jordan in response to earlier US strikes that killed civilians.
The US military said that its forces completed a wave of strikes against Iranian targets on Tuesday after what it said were attempted attacks by Iran against commercial shipping and American service members. Signs of rising tensions in the Middle East boost the safe-haven flows, supporting the Greenback and creating a headwind for the major pair.
Furthermore, Fed Chair Kevin Warsh’s hawkish remarks at the Jackson Hole symposium might contribute to the USD’s upside. Warsh warned last week that policymakers may need to tighten again if inflation fails to move convincingly towards 2%. Traders raise their bets on a September rate hike after Warsh’s comments.
Expectations of a September Fed rate hike rose to 68%, up from below 40% before the speech, according to the CME FedWatch tool.
Eurozone inflation risks keep ECB bias tilted toward further tightening
BNY’s Geoff Yu highlights that ECB officials remain wary of the inflation outlook, noting that one policymaker “warned that prolonged disruption could sustain inflation pressure even without a wage-price spiral.” According to Yu, “that framing reinforces the path toward another ECB hike in September”: in his view, “policymakers appear increasingly unwilling to wait for second-round effects before acting,” with the ECB “more assertive than its peers” in leaning against the risk that price pressures become entrenched.
Technical Analysis: EUR/USD retains a neutral outlook in the near term
In the daily chart, EUR/USD sits just above the 100-day simple moving average (SMA), which lends immediate support, but it remains below the 20-day Bollinger middle band, leaving spot marginally capped within its recent range. The Relative Strength Index (RSI) at 49.8 is effectively neutral, suggesting directionless momentum as price consolidates between nearby support and overhead resistance bands.
On the topside, the immediate resistance level is located at 1.1600, representing the Bollinger middle band and the psychological level. A more significant barrier is seen at the upper Bollinger band near 1.1710, where recent rallies would likely face supply.
On the downside, immediate support is defined by the 100-day SMA at 1.1565. A break below this level would expose the lower Bollinger band around 1.1490, opening the door to a deeper pullback within the broader consolidation.
(The technical analysis of this story was written with the help of an AI tool. Know more.)
Euro FAQs
The Euro is the currency for the 20 European Union countries that belong to the Eurozone. It is the second most heavily traded currency in the world behind the US Dollar. In 2022, it accounted for 31% of all foreign exchange transactions, with an average daily turnover of over $2.2 trillion a day. EUR/USD is the most heavily traded currency pair in the world, accounting for an estimated 30% off all transactions, followed by EUR/JPY (4%), EUR/GBP (3%) and EUR/AUD (2%).
The European Central Bank (ECB) in Frankfurt, Germany, is the reserve bank for the Eurozone. The ECB sets interest rates and manages monetary policy. The ECB’s primary mandate is to maintain price stability, which means either controlling inflation or stimulating growth. Its primary tool is the raising or lowering of interest rates. Relatively high interest rates – or the expectation of higher rates – will usually benefit the Euro and vice versa. The ECB Governing Council makes monetary policy decisions at meetings held eight times a year. Decisions are made by heads of the Eurozone national banks and six permanent members, including the President of the ECB, Christine Lagarde.
Eurozone inflation data, measured by the Harmonized Index of Consumer Prices (HICP), is an important econometric for the Euro. If inflation rises more than expected, especially if above the ECB’s 2% target, it obliges the ECB to raise interest rates to bring it back under control. Relatively high interest rates compared to its counterparts will usually benefit the Euro, as it makes the region more attractive as a place for global investors to park their money.
Data releases gauge the health of the economy and can impact on the Euro. Indicators such as GDP, Manufacturing and Services PMIs, employment, and consumer sentiment surveys can all influence the direction of the single currency. A strong economy is good for the Euro. Not only does it attract more foreign investment but it may encourage the ECB to put up interest rates, which will directly strengthen the Euro. Otherwise, if economic data is weak, the Euro is likely to fall. Economic data for the four largest economies in the euro area (Germany, France, Italy and Spain) are especially significant, as they account for 75% of the Eurozone’s economy.
Another significant data release for the Euro is the Trade Balance. This indicator measures the difference between what a country earns from its exports and what it spends on imports over a given period. If a country produces highly sought after exports then its currency will gain in value purely from the extra demand created from foreign buyers seeking to purchase these goods. Therefore, a positive net Trade Balance strengthens a currency and vice versa for a negative balance.
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