• Shares of Australia's Meeka Metals rise as much as 13% to A$0.1300, hitting their highest level since June 3

• Gold explorer reports visible gold in its drill hole at Turnberry Gold Project in Western Australia

• Adds mobilised a second diamond drill rig in mid-August to accelerate findings

• MEK shares up 30% so far this week, best week since August 2022

• YTD, stock down ~50%, including session's moves
(Reporting by Subhalakshmi Dey in Bengaluru)

• EUR/USD remains relatively bid in Asia after rally to 1.1710 EBS yesterday

• Asia tad lower and 1.1681-92, holding above 1.1682 hourly Ichimoku tenkan

• In area of 1.1690 hourly kijun, well above 200-DMA at 1.1631 below

• Massive option expiries in area today, to help contain spot action

• Between 1.1500-95 total E16.7 bln, 1.1600-90 E5.2 bln, 1.1700-95 E1.4 bln

• EUR/JPY well bid, 185.73-95 EBS, tracking away from 184.74-99 daily cloud

• Highest since 187.43 July 30 just before US FX intervention

• EUR/GBP off in Asia after rally Wednesday, yesterday 0.8585 to 0.8563

• Some option expiries today at 0.8450 strike below

• EUR/CHF up to 0.9350 yesterday, coming off in Asia? 0.9350 to 0.9344

• Holding between 0.9317 daily Ichimoku kijun, 0.9358 tenkan

• Still below descending hourly Ichimoku cloud between 0.9357-59

• Related comments , , ,

• And , , also
EUR/USD:


EUR/JPY:


EUR/CHF:

(Haruya Ida is a Reuters market analyst. The views expressed are his own)

• GBP/USD +0.15% Fri in Asia as pair threatens fresh topside extension

• Break of 1.3660-65 resistance would spur next leg higher, target 1.3867

• UK Jul retail sales due Fri (poll -0.5% m/m), Aug flash PMI also due

• GfK Aug consumer confidence index hits 2-year high after recent upbeat data

• U.S. Treasury attempts to deflate long-end UST yields being met with dubiety

• Brent crude elevated in wake of U.S. sanctions threats to Iran & its allies

• Range Asia 1.3633-55, support 1.3274 1.3140, resistance 1.3660-65 1.3870
GBP Daily 21/55/100-DMA

(James Connell is a Reuters market analyst. The views expressed are his own.)

• AUD/USD +0.25% Fri in Asia as USD index begins to look shaky again

• AU Aug S&P PMIs: manufacturing 52.0 (prior 52.0), services 52.9 (prior 53.6)

• Traders sceptical of U.S. Treasury's ability to cap long-term interest rates

• U.S. threatens extreme sanctions for Iran and countries assisting them

• AUD 0.7130-35 resistance short term key, break above opens topside to 0.7200

• Pair pushing upper hourly Bollinger band, flirts with overbought territory

• RBA Aug monetary policy meeting minutes released Tue, AU Jul CPI due Wed

• Range Asia 0.71105-31 support 0.6920 0.6866, resistance 0.7135 0.7200
AUD Hourly Bollinger Study & DXY Daily 55-DMA


AUD Daily 55-DMA

(James Connell is a Reuters market analyst. The views expressed are his own.)

• GBP/USD +0.1% in Asia Fri as 2-month long rally threatens to extend

• GfK Aug consumer confidence index hits 2-year high after string of good data

• GBP break above 1.3660-65 resistance zone would open topside toward 1.3867

• UK Jul retail sales due Fri (poll -0.5% m/m), Aug flash PMI also due

• Traders wary of U.S. Treasury attempts to cap long-term interest rates

• U.S. threats of tough sanctions for Iran & its associates sends oil higher

• Range Asia 1.3633-435, support 1.3274 1.3140, resistance 1.3660-65 1.3870

• (
GBP Daily 21/55/100-DMA

(James Connell is a Reuters market analyst. The views expressed are his own.)

• EUR, other majors continued to gain vs USD o/n whilst JPY retraced lower

• USD/JPY bounced back up to 159.18 EBS in New York before falling back

• Japanese exporters sales may have been responsible

• USD/JPY 158.89-159.08 so far in Asia, looking on heavy side

• Back below 159.43-161.64 ascending daily Ichi cloud after push back in o/n

• Still ascending 200-DMA 158.33 below, now flat 100-DMA 159.99 in cloud

• 100-DMA along with the daily Ichimoku kijun at 159.59 to help cap again

• 100/200-HMAs at 159.10/19 to help cap too, hourly cloud 158.57-90, support

• Chunky option expiries today between 159.40-50, at 159.00, between 158.00-50

• JGB-US Treasury rate differentials remain narrow, in 2s @249, 10s @179 bps

• Related comments , , ,

• And , , also

• US markets , , ,

• On US Tsy buybacks , ,

• On US data , , Fed ,

• Also , for more click on [FXBUZ]

USD/JPY:


USD/JPY hourly:

(Haruya Ida is a Reuters market analyst. The views expressed are his own)

• NZD/USD -0.3% from Thur 0.5964 high, but retains strong topside bias

• NZ Jul trade balance 1.95 bln deficit m/m, -5.24 bln y/y (prior -3.75 bln)

• NZD consolidates break above 0.5925-30 resistance zone, now targets 0.5995

• Doubts grow around U.S. Treasury ability to cap long-term interest rates

• Trump threatens countries judged to be assisting Iran, Brent crude +2.0%

• Range NZ 0.5941-47, support 0.5831 0.5762, resistance 0.5995 0.6090-95
NZD Daily 55-DMA

(James Connell is a Reuters market analyst. The views expressed are his own.)

Danske Research discusses the UST buyback program.

"Yesterday, the US Treasury announced an increase to buyback volumes of longer-dated Treasury bonds. To be clear, technically such a change should not have a significant impact on broader market conditions, but the timing matters here. The announcement came after a significant rise in long-end yields earlier in August, and at the same day as the US government debt reached USD40 trillion for the first time. The change intends to improve the liquidity of longer-dated off-the-run Treasuries, but as the buybacks are financed with increased issuance of short-dated T-bills, they also reduce the average maturity of all Treasuries outstanding. This drove sharp flattening of the Treasury curve, which is also politically convenient ahead of the midterms, as it means lower long-end mortgage rates," Danske notes.

"In addition, the increased reliance on short-end issuance links the government's financing costs more closely to the Fed's monetary policy - and perhaps it was the renewed concerns of the Fed's independence that helped explain the sharp weakening in broad USD FX.

Speculation aside, do note that the Treasury had recommended a similar change already more than a year ago  meaning that it should not been seen as a purely ad-hoc decision just to support the long-end Treasury market," Danske adds.

• AUD/USD -0.3% from Thur 0.7133 fresh 10-week high as USD support emerges

• U.S. Treasury capacity to cap long-term yields in question, UST yields firm

• Trump threatens countries judged to be assisting Iran, Brent crude +2.0%

• AUD struggling to clear resistance near 0.7130-35, inflection zone forming

• RBA Aug monetary policy meeting minutes released Tue, AU Jul CPI due Wed

• Overnight range 0.7103-33 support 0.6920 0.6866, resistance 0.7135 0.7200
AUD Hourly Bollinger Study & DXY Daily 55-DMA


AUD Weekly 52-WMA

(James Connell is a Reuters market analyst. The views expressed are his own.)

• EUR/USD rallied 1.1670-1.1710 overnight, NY opened near that high

• The pair fell in NY on broad-based USD buying, US yield

gains

• EUR/USD neared the overnight low then rallied on gold, silver, stocks up moves

• 1.1695 was neared but the bounce faded and the pair fell to 1.1670

• Persistent USD buying, USD/CNH lift off its low, drop in stocks weighed

• EUR/USD sat just below 1.1680 late, it traded down -0.05% in NY's afternoon

• Daily RSI diverged on the 3-month high & a daily gravestone doji candle formed

• Rising monthly RSI, hold above the 200-DMA give bulls some comfort
eurusd


(Christopher Romano is a Reuters market analyst. The views expressed are his own)

• AUD/USD traded 0.7103-0.7133 overnight, hit a 2-1/2-month high ahead of NY's open

• NY opened near 0.7125, the pair traded heavy for most of the NY session

• The overnight low was hit in early NY, the pair then rallied toward the overnight high

• Upward moves in gold, silver, copper & equities helped the lift but sellers emerged

• Firm US yields , USD buying, USD/CNH lift off its low weighed on AUD/USD

• The pair near 0.7110 late, AUD/USD traded down -0.18% in NY's afternoon

• Daily RSI diverged on the high, pair fell below the 61.8% fib of 0.7277-0.6867

• Rising monthly RSI, pair's hold above 10- & 21-DMAs give bulls some comfort
audusd


(Christopher Romano is a Reuters market analyst. The views expressed are his own)

Sterling's recent climb past 1.36 appears set to continue, spurred by the U.S. Treasury's decision to increase its long-end Treasury buyback program announced on Wednesday.

This move weakened the U.S. dollar, propelling cable to a three-month high of 1.3661 on Thursday, even as long-end UST yields experienced a slight rebound. Despite the dollar's dip, underlying U.S. fiscal concerns are unlikely to subside without a reduction in Treasury issuance, a development closely tied to November's refunding announcement.

Near-term market sentiment is being shaped by policy expectations for both the Fed and the Bank of England. LSEG's IRPR indicates a potential 25 basis point Fed hike in 2026, with nearly 50% odds for a second in late 2027. The BoE is also anticipated to hike once in 2026, with slightly more aggressive projections for 2027. This alignment in rate expectations is likely fueling the unwinding of short sterling positions among IMM speculators, a trend further supported by recent Reuters polls suggesting a more dovish Fed outlook into 2026 than current futures data on LSEG's IRPR suggests. However, GBP/USD bulls might encounter headwinds from ongoing geopolitical tensions in the Middle East. Persistent instability, especially concerning oil flows through the Strait of Hormuz, could risk dislodging inflation expectations. If this scenario unfolds, the dollar could reassert its safe-haven status, buttressed by a prolonged period of high U.S. interest rates.

Currently, resistance for GBP/USD is observed near today's trend high of 1.3660, followed by the February 4 peak of 1.3733. Support is found at the 10-day moving average of 1.3534, with bulls maintaining control as long as the price stays above the 200-day moving average at 1.3423.
GBP Chart:


(Paul Spirgel is a Reuters market analyst. The views expressed are his own)

MUFG Research discusses the UST buybacks program.

The US Treasury unscheduled announcement yesterday that it would increase US Treasury bond buybacks resulted in the biggest daily drop for the US dollar since March when you exclude the two episodes of USD selling intervention in April/May and July," MUFG notes.

"We would  argue that Scott Bessent is not following his own advice. Following the joint intervention at the end of July Bessent stated that “you can give market signals with intervention, but it’s policy that turns it”. He added that FX intervention “would need to be followed by Japanese policies addressing the forces driving the yen lower...

Well, if Scott Bessent really believes that then the US Treasury could play a key role here by of course addressing the ever-expending fiscal deficit with fiscal consolidation.

We all know that’s not going to happen and hence the danger now following this announcement (and the FIMA report comment to Japan following intervention) is that it proves counter-productive and leads to reduced appetite for either holding US assets (UST bond sales) or reduced appetite for exposure to the US dollar (dollar selling) or both. Even if the Treasury buy-back plan does contain yields, the US dollar now remains more vulnerable to the downside on the fact that yields are potentially lower," MUFG adds.

• Cable has traded a 61 pip range since the London open; 1.3600-1.3661

• 1.3661 is the highest level since February (1.3658 was May high)

• BUZZ-Bessent's bond buying may lift GBP/USD to 1.40

• UK statistics office revises up 2023 and 2024 growth estimates

• UK July retail sales data due on Friday, before August flash PMIs

• Pound can bank on another 6-3 rate hold vote in September

GBPUSD


(Robert Howard is a Reuters market analyst. The views expressed are his own)

Bank of America Global Research discusses its latest EUR outlook and targets.

"Looking ahead, despite our constructive medium-term EUR bias, we hesitate to turn constructive just yet. One reason is developments in Iran and the recent surge in gas prices, with our commodities team seeing upside risks relative to current levels. A second reason is the lack of clarity on the Fed's reaction function - Jackson Hole is key. A third reason is lighter positioning," BofA notes.

"Meanwhile, disagreements have emerged within Germany's governing coalition over the proposed reforms, also ahead of the autumn state elections. As for FX hedging, low vol and restored correlations suggest no imminent changes.

As such, we await for clarity and would avoid chasing EUR higher right now. We still forecast EUR-USD at 1.12 by end-Q3, 1.15 by year-end, and 1.20 by end-27," BofA adds.

Goldman Sachs discusses the implications of the UST buybacks program on FX markets.

"The Treasury announced they will increase long end buybacks by at least $2bn per operation for the remainder of the refunding quarter. Duration may well rally given positioning in the steepener (and short-term reaction to the news). However, this should just act to cap the upside rather than cause material sustained move lower in yields," GS notes.

"We do however think this is more meaningful for the USD. They have shown that they are willing to be imaginative when it comes to supporting the backend, however this may come at the cost of a weaker USD. We can also see recent action to support the JPY point in that direction tool. A clear trade-off may start to emerge. Supporting bonds may come at the expense of letting the USD become the adjustment valve (prioritise yield control over FX control). This should be most bullish for Gold and then CHF in the fiat currency space. EUR$ is also interesting here given the break of the 200d MA (and corresponding break in DXY)," GS adds.

• Cable rose to 1.3661 during the London morning, on further USD selling

• 1.3661 is the highest level since February 16 (1.36615 was high that day)

• Dollar continues to suffer on bond buyback news from the U.S. Treasury

• BUZZ-Bessent's bond buying may lift GBP/USD to 1.40

• Cable was last at 1.40 in June 2021 (1.3867 was 52-month high in January)

• 1.3630 (Wednesday high) is now a support level, pre-1.3600 and 1.3571

GBPUSD


(Robert Howard is a Reuters market analyst. The views expressed are his own)

• Dollar struggles as Treasury moves to soothe bond jitters

• Broad USD weakness following Treasury news sent USD/JPY down from 159 handle to 158

• USD/JPY's big Wednesday setback, closed back below cloud that now spans 158.92-161.59

• Spot failed to sustain the recent break above 159.60 Fibo, a bearish signal

• It has seen a 158.03 to 158.72 range, on Thursday, according to EBS data

• USD/JPY and EUR/JPY usually struggles in August

Daily Chart


(Martin Miller is a Reuters market analyst. The views expressed are his own)

• EUR/USD rises to 1.1703 on August 20

• Highest level since May 14 when pair traded 1.1721

• Short squeeze has fuelled rise from 1.1353 on Jul 28

• Rise exceeds 1.1696 -78.6% May-June 1.1797-1.1325 drop

• Extension to May's 1.1797 peak now looking likely

• Many traders have been caught out by dollar's fall

•
EURUSD


(Jeremy Boulton is a Reuters market analyst. The views expressed are his own)

August 20 (Reuters) - GBP/USD could rise to 1.40 for the first time in more than five years if the deterioration in sentiment towards the dollar deepens into the autumn. The catalyst for the deterioration was the U.S. Treasury's announcement on Wednesday that it would double the size of its U.S. long-bond buybacks. The unexpected news deflated UST yields and spurred selling of the USD – which lifted cable to a three-month high of 1.3630. A prospective cable move to 1.40 could be juiced by more squeezed GBP shorts: CFTC data showed the net GBP short position totalled a still hefty 56,221 contracts in the week ended August 11 (the net GBP short hit a nine-year high of 105,719 contracts in June).

If GBP/USD does rise to 1.40, it would arguably still be "cheap": 1.65 was its approximate average in the 10 years leading up to the Brexit referendum in June 2016.

Related:
GBPUSD


(Robert Howard is a Reuters market analyst. The views expressed are his own)

• AUD/USD retreated to 0.7103 in Asia on soft Australian jobs data

• Employment unexpectedly fell in July; jobless rate 4.5% vs 4.4% forecast

• 0.7103 is low water-mark since Wednesday's jump to test 0.7129

• USD selling on U.S. Treasury news was catalyst for 0.7129 test

• 0.7129 was Monday's 10-week high (0.7067 was Wednesday low)

• U.S. Treasury's upsized buybacks may complicate Fed's monetary policy work

AUDUSD


(Robert Howard is a Reuters market analyst. The views expressed are his own)

• EUR/USD rises to 1.1684 on Thursday

• Limit for correction of May-June 1.1794-1.1325 drop is 1.1694

• A rise to May's 1.1794 peak likely on any move beyond 1.1694

• The rally is quite stretched toward peak 20-day Bollingers

• Short squeeze fuelled rise, likely few longs to bar bigger gains

•
EURUSD


(Jeremy Boulton is a Reuters market analyst. The views expressed are his own)

• Brokerage Jefferies initiates coverage of Italian cash-for-gold trader Gens Aurea with a "buy" rating, seeing opportunity for consolidation in a highly fragmented market

• It sets an initial PT at €15 ($17.51), implying 56% upside from Wednesday's closing price

• Noting the high fragmentation of the European gold recycling market, the brokerage deems Gens Aurea well positioned to gain market share through superior scale, selective M&A and organic expansion

• "As gold prices rise, the Group passes part of the benefit to customers through more competitive pricing, supporting higher volumes, stronger store productivity and share gains," Jefferies says

• It adds the group offers a lower commodity risk compared to traditional gold miners, thanks to its hedging strategy limiting exposure to its core earnings and valuation from fluctuations in gold prices

• Jefferies is the first broker to initiate Gens Aurea since its Milan bourse debut in July, according to LSEG data

($1 = 0.8568 euros)

(Reporting by Mirko Miorelli)