EUR/USD gathers strength above 1.1700 as ECB keeps rates steady
- EUR/USD gains ground to near 1.1730 in Friday’s early Asian session.
- ECB kept rates on hold at its April policy meeting on Thursday.
- Escalating tensions between the US and Iran could lift the US Dollar, a safe-haven asset.
The EUR/USD pair attracts some buyers to around 1.1730 during the early Asian session on Friday. The Euro (EUR) strengthens against the US Dollar (USD) after the European Central Bank (ECB) kept interest rates on hold at its April meeting.
The ECB governing council opted to hold its benchmark deposit facility rate at 2% on Thursday despite a surge in inflation in the Eurozone since the war in Iran began. According to the statement, the central bank said the inflation outlook was largely unchanged: "The upside risks to inflation and the downside risks to growth have intensified.”
The ECB stated that it would closely monitor the situation and take a data-dependent and meeting-by-meeting approach to determining its monetary policy stance. Economists anticipate a potential 25-basis-point (bps) rate increase, which would raise the key interest rate to 2.25% at the June meeting.
Ongoing conflict in the Middle East could boost a safe-haven currency such as the Greenback and act as a headwind for the major pair. US President Donald Trump said he was sticking with a naval blockade of Iranian ports amid concerns the vital Strait of Hormuz would not reopen anytime soon, Bloomberg reported on Thursday.
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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