- EUR/USD struggles to gain any meaningful traction as traders keenly await the crucial ECB meeting.
- Reviving inflation fears bolster Fed hike bets and underpin the USD, capping the upside for the pair.
- Last week’s failure near the 200- SMA on H4 favors bears and backs the case for further depreciation.
The EUR/USD pair is seen consolidating during the Asian session on Tuesday and trading just above the 1.1400 mark, or a four-day low touched the previous day. Market participants seem hesitant and keenly await the highly-anticipated European Central Bank (ECB) meeting on Thursday before positioning for the next leg of a directional move.
In the meantime, energy-driven inflation fears bolster US Federal Reserve (Fed) rate hike bets and support the US Dollar (USD) amid escalating US-Iran tensions. This could act as a headwind for the EUR/USD pair, warranting caution before confirming that the recent pullback from a four-week high, touched last Wednesday, has run its course.
Spot prices keep a bearish tone following last week’s failure near the 1.1480-1.1485 region, which coincides with the 200-period Simple Moving Average (SMA). Moreover, the Moving Average Convergence Divergence (MACD) indicator remains below zero with a negative reading, while the Relative Strength Index (RSI) at 40.95 stays under the midline.
Momentum indicators together suggest waning bullish momentum and reinforce the downside bias while the EUR/USD pair remains capped beneath the 200-period SMA. This, in turn, backs the case for an eventual break below the 1.1400 round figure and a further decline towards retesting the year-to-date low, around the 1.1325 region, touched on June 24.
On the topside, initial resistance is located at the 200-period SMA around 1.1480. A sustained move above this level is needed to ease the current bearish pressure and open the way for a more constructive outlook. Nevertheless, the sub-50 RSI and negative MACD suggest that the path of least resistance for the EUR/USD pair remains to the downside.
