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Since September last year, the British Pound has enjoyed a relatively easy time against the Australian Dollar, often described as a solid bull run. However, many fundamental drivers have turned sour for the Sterling crosses, and with GBPAUD in particular, we may be in for a significant price reversal. What's Driving the Pound Aussie Pairing?

The obvious elephant in the room would be Brexit. For a while, it seemed there might have been light at the end of the tunnel for the UK and the EU, hence the bull run. However just recently, UK Trade Secretary Liam Fox has predicted that the odds of a ‘no deal’ are now as high as 60-40 due to difficulties, and subsequently, the general sense of doom and gloom weighing on the UK economy has reared its ugly head once more.

Australian Dollar Not Resistant To A Few Headaches On the flip side, conditions aren't necessarily much better south of the equator. As a commodity-centric currency, the Australian Dollar is struggling while trade-war-like tensions brew between the US and China. If we add jitters in Turkey creating a sell-off in higher risk currencies, as well as the RBA’s more cautious tone on inflation, the overall picture for AUD appears just as bleak as the Pound Sterling.

Since we've established both currencies have their potholes on the road ahead, let's push the fundamentals aside and discover a potential trading opportunity from a technical perspective which appears to be gaining traction. GBPAUD - Daily Starting with the daily chart above, notice the price action is trading considerably below the 200 day moving average line in gold. It indicates an overall bearish trend so long as the prices continue to close below 1.7657.

A Potential 1000 Pip Move? Well not quite. Based on the latest technical analysis, the formation of a head and shoulders reversal pattern is developing, and should it follow through, we would be looking at a downside target of approximately 965 pips.

How was this estimation reached? Let me explain. Below the chart highlights the developing Head and Shoulders reversal pattern.

Next we draw the neckline in blue. We then measure the distance between the neckline and the top of the head formation and record this figure. Once the price closes below the neckline closest to the right shoulder, we minus the length of this distance to the levels below creating a price target.

In this case, we see a target price of 1.6265 or (1.7230 - 965 = 1.6265). What I find most interesting with this potential price target (1.6265) is the fact that the 1.62 regions have been known to be a substantial area of support back in September last year when the latest bull run first began to emerge. It's almost as if the pair is attempting to return full circle should this move come to fruition.

With both domestic economies currently under fire, it will be tough to know which of these currencies will win the battle and come out on top. If Brexit negotiations are as much of a mess as we're lead to believe in the media, it's only logical that the Pound will haemorrhage across the board and we could see some severe moves such as this. However, given the level of risk out there in the markets at this stage, we could just as quickly see the Australian Dollar lose its footing and tumble down.

By Adam Taylor CFTe This article is written by a GO Markets Analyst and is based on their independent analysis. They remain fully responsible for the views expressed as well as any remaining error or omissions. Trading Forex and Derivatives carries a high level of risk.

Sources: Tradingview, Bloomberg

The FOMC Meeting is set to be the highlight of the week as it might revive the rising trend of the US dollar. Watchful eyes are glued to the reactions of the financial markets as the new tariffs officially take effect today. The policy divergence between the Fed and other central banks have put the US dollar in the spotlight and traders are keen to see how the Fed will play a probable fourth rate hike in December.

EURUSD Fundamental Analysis The EURUSD pair mainly found support by a weak US dollar last week. As we progressed into a new week, the Germany IFO Business Climate and EX CPI figures will be the main events on the data front for the Euro. Core inflation is expected to remain the same while elevated energy prices should drive headline inflation slightly higher at 2.1%.

On the political front, attention will be on the Italian Budget. Technical Analysis The pair has formed an ascending triangle and the breakout through the resistance level might be the signal of a bullish formation. The uptrend line shows that sellers are losing control and bulls are pushing the pair higher.

It is currently trading around the 1.1740 level, and a firm confirmation above that level could provide bulls with trading opportunities. GBPUSD Fundamental Analysis After the renewed confidence over positive Brexit news, the Sterling is trading on the back foot again. A lack of economic releases on the UK-calendar will cause the pair to be mostly driven by Brexit related news.

Technical Analysis After falling out of the overbought RSI conditions, the Gravestone Doji candle which formed on the weekly chart in an uptrend pattern shows that the selling pressures were able to push prices back down to the opening price of the week. This can signal that the uptrend could be over and long positions should trade cautiously. However, Friday’s sell-off might also be panic-selling so bears should wait and see for a clear down direction to act.

AUDUSD Fundamental Analysis This pair remains vulnerable to the US-Sino trade war. A lack of macroeconomic data during the week with only some releases on Friday will likely stay driven by trade angst. Technical Analysis On the technical side, the pair remains trapped in a bearish channel.

The pair has stayed dampened in since the beginning of the February 2018.

First Quarter Overview - Massive Swings and Volatility in Stock Markets First quarter of the year ended with markets experiencing massive swings and volatility. Higher bond yields, revised inflation expectations and a potential trade war brought fears to the markets, making investors very sensitive to any economic data releases or changes in the markets. Markets were comfortable to the “artificial” low interest rates for a decade.

Higher bond yields rattled the markets as investors realized that the “ era of low interest rates which was created artificially by quantitative easing” is coming to an end. After the financial crisis in 2008, major central banks across the world cut their base lending rates. The below graph depicts the dramatic change in interest rates after the crisis.

With a stronger global economy, central banks have started unwinding the post-GFC monetary stimulus and policymakers are ready to change their stance on interest rates which are putting pressure on the bond markets Traders are in a fragile state of mind as higher interest rates mean that safer bonds are offering greater returns, making risky stocks less attractive. After February’s tumble, stock markets’ volatility soared on the aggressive tariffs stance taken by President Trump. A potential trade war between China and U.S, the world’s two largest economies, are threatening the spectrum of global trade.

Even though President Trump is confident that “trade wars are good and easy to win”, it seems that he is forgetting that history is telling a different story. Markets are swinging between risk off and risk on mode following any tit-for-tat response from the US and China. At the Boao Forum, President Xi’s speech managed to ease some concerns, but investors stay worried as the unpredictability and uncertainty around global trade could put considerable pressure on the markets.

Federal Budget 2018: A Mixed Reaction By Deepta Bolaky Treasurer Scott Morrison handed down his third incorporating tax cuts, superannuation benefits, aged care spending and significant infrastructure spending. The highlight is its plan to hand out $140 billion in tax cuts over the next 7 years possibly making the budget a strong “pre-election” one. It also focused on providing immediate tax relief to the low and middle-income earners by proposing an “offset at the end of the year” effective from 01 July 2018.

The government plans to partly compensate for the loss in revenue from the income tax cuts by taxing illicit tobacco and putting a $10,000 cap on cash payments in an attempt to crackdown on the black economy. The Australian economy entered its 27 th consecutive year of growth and bringing back a budget surplus within the next 2 years appears to be a realistic expectation according to the government. It is also expected that by 2028-29 net debt will decline to 3.8 per cent of GDP.

Source: Business Insider Reactions from the markets so far... Whilst most sectors saw positives out of the proposed measure and policies, it was hard to see the same reaction from the financial sector which makes up almost 30 per cent of the S&P/ASX200 (by market capitalization) after the announcement of a new (proposed) tax on bank liabilities. Consumer discretionary and Consumer staples were mostly positive as tax cuts are expected to boost consumer confidence and spending, seen as favorable for underlying stocks.

Infrastructure and Healthcare also got a lift following the proposed spending plans and policies. No exit fees, a cap on annual fees for superannuation and an overhaul for R&D refunds were understandably drivers of a sell-off in Biotech and Superannuation stocks. Source: Bloomberg The positive sustained reaction from Bond markets is expected to last as the early balance surplus is a quite a crucial factor to consider since it will give support to the country’s AAA credit rating.

The initial impact on the Australian Dollar remains mixed so far. However, it is worth keeping an eye to see how the Budget will unfold over the coming weeks and months.

French elections 2017 With Brexit in full swing, Europe is getting ready for another political event and the people of France are going to decide on who will run their country next. There are four main candidates for the job – Benoit Hamon, Emmanuel Macron, Francois Fillon and Marine Le Pen. Each of the candidates has his/her own views of how France should be moving forward and it will unquestionably have an impact on Europe’s third largest economy.

The candidates Francois Fillon, The Republicans Francois Fillon is the member of The Republicans party and only a few months ago was predicted to win the election. Fillon was previously the prime minister of France from 2007 until 2012. He won his party’s primary last year by 15 points beating the former President – Nicolas Sarkozy.

His plans include scraping the 35-hour working week, removing the wealth tax and cutting half a million public sector jobs. Marine Le Pen, National Front Marine Le Pen is one of the front-runners in this year’s elections, she is the leader of the far-right National Front Party. Le Pen took place in the 2012 presidential election and placed this behind Nicolas Sarkozy and Francois Hollande with 17.90% of the vote.

Her plans include reducing immigration and raising welfare benefits, but her biggest plan is to hold a referendum on the country’s European Union membership and taking them out of the Eurozone. Emmanuel Macron, En Marche Emmanuel Macron is one of the youngest candidates for the presidency and at 39 he has already served as economy minister. He has since started his En Marche movement.

His plans include – greater checks on politician’s powers and has backed deregulation in certain French industries. He also plans to end 35-hour week for younger workers. Benoit Hamon, Socialist Party Benoit Hamon is a member of Socialist Party and the Party of European Socialists.

He became the presidential candidate on January 29 th, 2017 after defeating Manuel Valls in the second round of the party primary. His plans include taxing wealth created by robots and to have a universal monthly payment for French citizens, regardless of their income. What are the polls saying?

Latest poll from Harris Interactive shows Emmanuel Macron (26% of the vote) currently ahead of Marine Le Pen (25% of the vote) for the first round of France’s presidential election. The former front runner Francois Fillon is behind with 20% of the vote and Benoit Hamon in fourth with 13%. Source: Harris Interactive poll Your Watchlist We have seen a steady decline in the EUR over the last few months.

Europe is now facing another political headache and more uncertainty when the French elections take place this year. The two frontrunners – Emmanuel Macron and Marine Le Pen are very close in the polls and have different plans for France. Regardless of who wins the French elections, the EUR will certainly be tested and one to watch.

EURUSD Source:GO Markets MT4 On the Indices front, the CAC40 index has been on the rise in the recent months as you can see in the chart below. The index may not be showing signs of pessimism for the time being. We see a similar pattern on the Euro Stoxx 50.

Will we see a different picture closer to the election and how will the result impact the index? We will find out in the coming months. CAC40 Source: GO Markets MT4 STOXX50 Source: GO Markets MT4 Key dates for the French Presidential election > The first round of the vote will take place on Sunday April 23, 2017. > The two candidates with the most support will go into head-to-head final vote, which will be held on May 7, 2017.

By Klavs Valters, GO Markets

The European Central Bank (ECB) engaged into a €2 trillion bond buying program to promote economic growth and drive inflation up in the Eurozone. It involves buying assets from commercial banks to inject more funds in the banking system. It is a non-standard monetary policy commonly referred as quantitative easing (QE).

The market expected the QE to be phased out by the end of this year. Key ECB policymakers are expressing concerns over a strong Euro which is putting months of challenging work into jeopardy. A strong Euro will directly hurt Germany, one of the largest economy in the Eurozone, as higher export costs will translate into lower demand.

On the other hand, the Pound will eventually benefit from it as euro buyers could switch to pound. The exchange rate has therefore become an issue as ECB is unable to maintain the desired inflation rate. Given the concerns over the strong euro, the market foresees that ECB is less likely to exit from the QE phase.

After more than 2-year high, the EURUSD dropped. The selloff was also due to strong economic US data during the week and the comeback of the tax reforms talks in the White House. [caption id="attachment_58394" align="aligncenter" width="600"] Source: GO Trader MT4[/caption] Mark your calendar!!!! The ECB Monetary policy statement and press conference is scheduled on the 7 th of September 2017.

It will be a key event for the Euro. By: Deepta Bolaky GO Markets