EUR/USD climbs above 1.1650 after Trump agrees to two-week ceasefire with Iran
- EUR/USD jumps to near 1.1670 in Wednesday’s early Asian session.
- Trump agreed to two-week ceasefire with Iran
- Traders brace for the FOMC Minutes later on Wednesday.
The EUR/USD pair surges to around 1.1670 during the early Asian session on Wednesday. The Euro (EUR) strengthens against the Greenback after US President Donald Trump agrees to a two-week ceasefire with Iran.
A White House official said that Trump said he’d agreed to a two-week ceasefire with Iran on Tuesday on the condition that Iran agree to reopen the critical Strait of Hormuz. Israel has also agreed to the ceasefire, per CNN. Trump’s announcement came after Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s proposed the ceasefire to allow for diplomatic negotiations between the US and Iran.
Traders will closely monitor the developments surrounding the US-Iran ceasefire. Signs of easing tension in the Middle East could underpin the riskier assets such as the shared currency in the near term.
Minutes of the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) will take center stage later on Wednesday. The report could offer some insights into how officials view the recent energy shock caused by conflicts in the Middle East.
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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