Archive for March, 2010

Norges bank left the interest rates on hold at 1,75 % – just as expected. Their outlook for Norways economy was more negative then earlier expressed. As a result, the norwegian krona have declined against the major trading partners and currencies.

Why did Norway keep interest rates at 1.75 %

One of the main reasons for keeping the rate at current levels was scaled back inflation expectations, while a slower recovery in Europe was another. Recent Norwegian growth and unemployment rates have also been slightly lower then expected.

Forecast for Norwegian krona?

The krona (more…)

Today we cover two interesting currencies which seen increased volume in the last 6 months – Australian dollar against the U.S. Dollar. Here is a brief currency forecast from a technical analyst point of view.

AUD/USD – Short-term

Over the next 48 hours, make sure to keep track of the following resistance and support levels:
-Resistance to AUD/USD: 0.9190-06, 0.9228, 0.9276-90 and 0.9404
-Support for AUD/USD: 0.9136, 0.9118, 0.9050-75 and 0.8997

Although there is support for the currency pair around 0.9118, the possibility for a break through the resistance at 0.9228 remains. In the short term, most of the leading forex analysts believe in a bullish move, ie. Australian to U.S. dollars strengthened against the USD.

AUD / USD – medium term

We have seen a (more…)

Japanese currency are becoming more interesting for carry traders, while forex experts estimate a set-back over the next months.

Yen as a carry trade

During much of the beginning of the century, yen was the main carry trade currency among international forex investors and traders. This mean it was sold by investors because its yield was so negligible, and the proceeds were invested in higher yielding currencies, such as Australian dollar (AUD) or Sterling (£). However, in the middle of the financial crisis, the yen was displaced by the US dollar, in the light of the slashed American interest rates.

Shift in lending rates

It’s now cheaper to borrow money in Yen then (more…)

The Krona have started to appreciate considerible against the Euro and other currencies lately. Many currency traders now belive it’s time to add the krona to their portfolios. At least as long the Euro is under pressure.

Swedish Krona – from loser to winner

Last quater, the krona was the worst performing major European currency. The link to Baltic banks and quickly increasing unemployment
rate was part of the problems. Now, it’s gone to the regions leading currency instead.

The reasons behind are a few. To start with, Sweden’s budget deficit are shrinking while most other countries deficit are growing. (more…)