Oil is the key to the future direction of FX markets
Oct 30 (Reuters) -Oil, which has softened significantly during a period where it should have risen, is the key to the future direction of FX markets.
The weakness of crude prices has forced producers to maintain supply cuts and another delay is possible to the plan to hike output in December. The influence of producers has clearly waned though, with Brent still hugging the low end of the rough $71-100/bbl that has been the focus of traders for several years.
The weakness of prices - which have not even risen during a war in one of the areas of biggest production - is a telling sign. Whether there is too much oil, or insufficient demand, the weakness of prices hints at a bigger drop.
For this to happen oil must break and hold below the critical 100-MMA at $69.66 which has defined lows since August 2021. There is a potential trigger for a sell-off should the 21-MMA drop below the 200-MMA which may happen soon. This ominously named signal - a Death Cross - could be the spark for the drop that soggy prices already hint at.
If seen, the drop would undermine the currencies of big producers like the dollar at a point when interest rate cuts are set to do the same. Lower oil may hasten those rate cuts and push the expected base for the U.S. easing cycle back below 3.0 percent.
In contrast to the dollar the pressure on currencies of big importers like yen, euro, pound, and some extremely hard pressed currencies like yuan, Indian rupee and Turkish lira should ease.
A drop for oil into a lower range that may be closer to $50-80/bbl could be game changing for currencies.
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Brent Crude oil https://tmsnrt.rs/4fqoEUI
(Jeremy Boulton is a Reuters market analyst. The views expressed are his own)
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