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UAE Presidents Foreign Policy Advisor: The UAE is exercising restraint and seeking a way out for Iran and the region.The UAE presidents foreign policy advisor said Irans accusations against the UAE are "part of its unwise and chaotic policy."On March 15, S&P Global Ratings affirmed Saudi Arabias sovereign credit rating, adding that despite disruptions, non-oil growth momentum and related non-oil revenues should help support the economy. S&P stated that Saudi Arabia should be able to withstand the impact of the current conflict with Iran. S&P noted that the country should be able to shift oil exports to the Red Sea, utilize its vast oil storage capacity, and increase oil production post-conflict. The Saudi government should also be able to adjust investment spending related to "Vision 2030," a strategic framework launched by the country in 2016.On March 15th, Matt Reed, Vice President of the geopolitical and energy consultancy Foreign Reports, stated that an attack on Kharg Island could trigger Iranian retaliation against Gulf oil-producing countries. He said, "Iran will retaliate in kind." The United States warned on Friday that if Iran continues to block the Strait of Hormuz, Kharg Islands oil facilities could become the next target. Reed warned that the longer the conflict continues, the harder it will be to find alternative energy supplies. "At least 10 million barrels of oil are trapped in the Gulf every day, plus more than 4 million barrels of refined petroleum products and tens of billions of cubic feet of liquefied natural gas, with no easy alternatives." The International Energy Agency has announced the largest emergency oil reserve release in history, with 32 member countries planning to release approximately 400 million barrels of oil. However, Reed believes this measure will have limited effect, stating, "By the time the oil gets to the market, it may be too little, too late." He described it as nothing more than a "band-aid."On March 15th, local time, the Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps issued a statement saying that in the past 48 hours, the US and Israel had launched attacks on several civilian industrial facilities in Iran, resulting in the deaths of several workers. The statement said that after setbacks in its confrontation with Iran, the US and Israel have turned to attacking non-military industrial facilities. Iran warned that US companies in the region should withdraw from their facilities and urged nearby residents to stay away from industrial areas with US capital involvement to avoid potential attacks.

AUD/USD and JPY Are in Focus as APAC Trading Begins Amid Fed Bets and BOJ Scrutiny

Drake Hampton

Apr 25, 2022 10:30

Asia-Pacific Outlook for Monday

The risk-averse Last week, the Australian Dollar fell sharply against the US Dollar as markets adjusted to growing hawkish shifts in Fed rate hike bets. As a result of these shifts, short-term Treasury yields increased as traders sold government bonds. Overnight index swaps are pricing in a 'front-loading' of tightening, with 50 basis point hikes favored as the base case scenario for the next four FOMC meetings.

 

Apart from the Fed and rate hike bets, the market will be watching Australia's first-quarter inflation data due Wednesday. According to a Bloomberg survey, analysts expect the consumer price index (CPI) to rise to 4.6 percent year over year. This would be an increase from 3.6 percent year on year in Q4. A stronger-than-expected print may rekindle some bullish energy in the Australian Dollar, as bets on an RBA rate hike may strengthen in response to the strong price data. As of Friday, cash rate futures indicated a low probability of a rate hike at the RBA's May meeting.

 

The Japanese Yen will also be under focus this week, as the Bank of Japan is scheduled to release its April policy decision on Thursday. Rate traders do not anticipate a change in the benchmark rate, although they do anticipate an update to the bank's inflation targets. USD/JPY increased for a seventh straight week, owing to the BOJ's vigorous bond buying aimed at limiting rates. Last week, USD/JPY one-week risk reversals went into negative territory, indicating that options traders may be favoring some short-term Yen gains.

 

Elsewhere, the March trade balance for New Zealand will be released, which may cause some volatility in the New Zealand Dollar. NZD/USD declined last week as a result of the general risk-off sentiment that drove the majority of APAC currencies lower against the USD. This is despite the fact that bets for an RBNZ rate hike have firmed. The Kiwi Dollar's fall was almost certainly also a result of lower metal prices, which have been weighed down by both a stronger US Dollar and weakening demand as China's crackdown continues. 

Technical Analysis of the AUD/USD

The march bottom is clearly in focus after AUD/USD plunged this week, slicing through its 50-, 100-, and 200-day Simple Moving Averages (SMA). If prices fall below 0.7162, this might spark bearish sentiment sufficiently to push prices near the critical 0.7000 level. Recently, both the MACD and RSI oscillators produced bearish signals, with a cross below their respective center lines. 

AUD/USD Daily Chart

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