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Heard Of Germany’s ‘ZEW Economic Sentiment Index’?

Introduction

Introduction

Introduction

ZEW Economic Sentiment Index is a leading economic indicator that specially focuses on Germany and a few other countries. The correlation of the index with the growth is healthy. Hence, like any other business sentiment index, it is handy for our fundamental analysis to predict near-term economic activity, and identify potential opportunities.

What is the ZEW Economic Sentiment Index?

The ZEW Economic Sentiment Index is a sentiment index compiled out of the ZEW Financial Market Survey.  ZEW stands for Zentrum für Europäische Wirtschaftsforschung, which means the Center for European Economic Research.

ZEW Financial Market Survey

It was introduced in 1991. A survey of about 350 analysts working at banks, insurances, and significant industrial firms are surveyed in a time frame of about two weeks. The proportion of participants from different sectors generally remains constant. It collects the general German sentiment or expectations with regards to the development of six international financial markets, especially Germany.

The panel of financial experts selected for the survey express their near-term expectations of the business cycle growth and progress, inflation rates, short and long term interest rates, stock market, exchange rates, and the oil prices. The survey questions aim to answer the situations in Germany, the USA, Japan, France, Great Britain, Italy, and the Euro-zone as a whole.

The experts are finally asked to assess the profitability of many economic sectors like banks, insurances, trade, construction, vehicle industry, chemistry, electronics, mechanical engineering, utilities, services, telecommunication, and information technology. Each expert forecasts on every category form a fraction that reflects different assumptions in percentages. The score from each individual in percentages are summed together to give an overall sentiment.

The results of this method, when it is applied to forecasted changes in the economic situation in Germany, is known as the “ZEW Indicator of Economic Sentiment.” The ZEW Indicator of Economic Sentiment is obtained from the results of the ZEW Financial Market Survey. It is computed as the difference between the percentage share of analysts that are bullish and those that are bearish towards the German economy in six months.

For instance, if 30% of the survey respondents predict the German economic situation to deteriorate, 20% expect it to remain the same as before, and 50% expect it to improve. The overall score of the survey would be a positive value of 20. It is a bullish reading and suggests that financial experts see positive signs for growth in the medium term.

Note: The IFO Business Climate Index is also a similar survey-based index that is popular in Germany. It is also a monthly report that surveys over 7,000 companies in Germany to obtain business condition sentiment for the near term. It measures business confidence and is also a leading indicator. It is a weighted index, meaning company scores are weighted in based on their contribution to the economy’s revenue.

However, the ZEW panel comprises of financial experts and is more diverse in its area of coverage as it also publishes estimates about other economic zones outside of Germany. IFO is business sentiment, while ZEW is economic sentiment, economic sentiment is a broader gauge, and hence, for our fundamental analysis, it is more useful.

How can the ZEW Sentiment Index numbers be used for analysis?

Sentiment Index in any country or any sector is the leading economic indicators for traders, investors, economists, and policymakers. Since the ZEW Sentiment Index is composed of a panel of financial market experts, people who are well-versed with the economy and business cycles throughout their career, their assessments generally have a strong correlation with actual GDP growth.

As with any sentiment index, the ZEW index also tends to be overly sensitive to changes in the economy, meaning the results sometimes would seem exaggerated but in the right direction. For our analysis, the direction of the economy is essential, and the magnitude can be understood over time with historical data.

Overall, the Economic Sentiment Index is helpful for us to predict the upcoming six-month changes with a good amount of certainty.

Impact on Currency

Market volatility is sensitive to Economic Sentiment Indexes. Significant moves in the index cause volatility in the market. It is a leading indicator. The above picture is a snapshot of ZEW for the past one year.

High Positive Economic Sentiment Index figures translate to improving economic prospects, which will translate to higher GDP prints and currency appreciation. Low or NegativeEconomic Sentiment Index figures translate to possible business slowdowns in the near-term, in extreme cases, even a recession. It will translate to the contracting economy, and lower GDP print, and thereby leading to currency depreciation.

Economic Reports

The ZEW Economic Sentiment Index is released every month on its official website, with insightful comments on different sectors. The IFO reports and ZEW Economic Sentiment Index are the two popular Sentiment Indexes in Germany.

Other companies also publish Economic Sentiment numbers, and IHS Markit Group is one such company that puts out numbers on the international scale for many countries. Internationally, IHS Markit business surveys are popular, but within Germany, ZEW is more popular amongst the traders, investors, policymakers.

Sources of ZEW Economic Sentiment Index

We can monitor the reports on the official website of the ZEW.

We can also go through the Sentiment Index of other countries here.

We can also find the aggregated statistics of all business confidence indexes for various countries here.

Impact of the ”ZEW Economic Sentiment Index” news release on the Forex market

In the previous section of the article, we understood the ZEW Economic Sentiment fundamental indicator, which essentially rates the outlook of an economy for a six-month period. On the index, a level above zero indicates optimism, below indicates pessimism. It is a leading indicator of economic health.

The reading is compiled from a survey of about 350 German institutional investors and analysts. Therefore, it is given a fair amount of importance from investors, especially when analyzing growth in the Eurozone. The ZEW financial market survey covers a number of areas, sectors, and regions which are used to create the ZEW Economic Sentiment.

In this part of the article, we will examine the impact of the ZEW Economic Sentiment indicator on the value of various currencies involving the EUR and witness the change in volatility. For that, we have collected the latest data of ZEW Economic Sentiment, which was published in the month of April. We can see in the below image that the index jumped by a huge margin in April 2020, which was well above market expectations.

EUR/USD | Before the announcement

Let us start with the EUR/USD currency pair to observe the impact of the ZEW Economic Sentiment Indicator on the value of EUR. The above image shows the state of the chart before the news announcement, where we see that the price is in a downtrend, and very recently, the price has formed a ”range.” Just before the news release, the price is at the bottom of the ”range,” so we can expect buyers to come back in the market, initiating some strength in the Euro.

EUR/USD | After the announcement

After the news announcement, market crashes below the ”support” of the ”range” and volatility increases to the downside. Although the ZEW Economic Sentiment was extremely positive for the economy, market participants do not by Euro immediately at the ”news candle,” but instead, we see a rally in the price after the close of ”news candle.” Thus, we witness moderate volatility in the currency pair after the news release.

EUR/CAD | Before the announcement

The above images represent the EUR/CAD currency pair, where, in the first image, we see that the market is in an uptrend signifying strength in the Euro. Currently, the price is at its highest point, crossing the previous ”higher high.” As per the technical analysis, we should wait for price retracement to a ”support” or ”demand” area in order to join the trend. Depending on the impact of the news release, we will position ourselves in the currency.

EUR/CAD | After the announcement

After the news announcement, the price initially falls lower due to volatility, but it does not sustain at that level where the buyers immediately take the price higher. We can see that the market bounces exactly from the moving average and continues to move higher. The market is seen to react oppositely to the ZEW Index at the time of release, but one should not conclude the impact of news from just one candle.

EUR/AUD | Before the announcement

  

EUR/AUD | After the announcement

The above images are that of the EUR/CAD currency pair, where we see that before the news announcement, the market is in a strong uptrend again, signifying the great amount of strength in the Euro. Just before the release, the price appears to be at the ”supply” area, which means we should expect some selling pressure from this point. A breakout trade is possible if the price sufficiently breaks the ”supply” area.

After the news announcement, we witness slight bearishness in the currency but was not large enough to cause a reversal of the trend. We see that the price only hovers at the ”supply” area, with no major impact, which results in a breakout.

That’s about the ‘ZEW Economic Sentiment Index’ and the relative impact of its news announcement on the Forex price charts. Let us know if you have doubts regarding the article in the comments below. Cheers!

Categories
Forex Market Analysis

EZ Economic Sentiment Plunges To Its Lowest Level Since 2016

Hot Topics:

  • EZ Economic Sentiment plunges to the lowest level since 2016.
  • Pound falls after unemployment rate release.
  • Dow continues advancing with all eyes on the 25,000 pts level.
  • Expecting the Crude Oil Inventories data release.
  • Limited down movement before BoC MP decision.

 

EZ Economic Sentiment plunges to the lowest level since 2016.

The Eurozone ZEW Economic Sentiment in March dropped to 1.9, the lowest level since July 2016. The ZEW President Achim Wambach said, “The reason for this downturn in expectations can mainly be found in the international trade conflict with the United States and the current situation in the Syrian war.” 

Once the sentiment data was released, the common currency reacted dropping 0.25%. As we have envisioned, the Euro dropped from the blue box.

In the European stocks market, the German index DAX 30 continued its rally closing the session with a gain of 0.99%. The index is moving in an ascending channel; the price could still reach new highs until the 12,702 – 12825 area before starting a potential corrective move.

At the same time, the Dollar Index climbed from 88.94, the 3 weeks lowest level, advancing to its short-term pivot of 89.36. The price still is bouncing from the Potential Reversal Zone (PRZ). Invalidation level is in 88.52 level.

 

Pound falls after unemployment rate release.

The unemployment rate in March fell 4.2%, the lowest level in more than four decades. The GBPUSD pair plunged 0.31% from the highest level of the year. On the technical side, the pound has made a false breakout reaching 1.4376 and falling sharply below 1.43. We are now expecting a setup as a 1-2-3 pattern before we look to sell the pair.

 

Dow continues advancing with all eyes on the 25,000 pts level.

In the middle of the big companies earnings release, Dow Jones continued advancing, breaking up our key resistance level of 24,625 closing the session with gains of 0.59%. Our central vision is bullish with the target placed at the 25,407 level.

As result of the market risk on sentiment, the USDJPY has moved above our invalidation level (106.61), bouncing in the Potential Continuation Section (PCS); closing the session at 107.0, maintaining the bullish bias with the target placed at 108.41 level.

 

Expecting the Crude Oil Inventories data release.

Today, the weekly Crude Oil Inventory data released by the EIA is expected. On the technical side, the price is making a bullish channel in five movements. We estimate that Crude Oil could reach the 67.86 – 68.75 area where sellers could enter in action with their targets placed at 64 $/barrel.

 

Limited falls before BoC MP decision.

The most expected release for this session is the interest rate decision from the Bank of Canada. The analysts’ consensus expects that the BoC will keep its rate unchanged at 1.25%. Our vision is that the loonie could make a new low to the 1.2499 level, where it could find new buyers with their target at 1.274.

Categories
Forex Market Analysis

What kind of trigger could boost the Dollar?

Hot Topics:

What kind of trigger could boost the Dollar?
Will the Eurozone continue to bring weaker economic data?
Could the UK CPI have reached their peak?
Fear of a

Hot Topics:

What kind of trigger could boost the Dollar?
Will the Eurozone continue to bring weaker economic data?
Could the UK CPI have reached their peak?
Fear of a

Hot Topics:

  • What kind of trigger could boost the Dollar?
  • Will the Eurozone continue to bring weaker economic data?
  • Could the UK CPI have reached their peak?
  • Fear of a new war or do we expect a new bearish leg?
  • A new higher high in oils is expected before it starts a corrective move.
  • Downward continuation limited before the BoC decision.

What kind of trigger could boost the Dollar?

The recent tensions originated by the strike made between the US, UK, and France on Syria and the reactions of Russia condemning the act could continue to increase the volatility in the markets. Another triggering factor could be the one originated by the US Retail Sales, which fell in February -0.1%. In March the analysts’ consensus is expecting an increase near to 0.4%. In technical terms, the greenback is still in a range and could be making a bottom formation. The control levels are 88.66 to 89.16. Invalidation level is below 88.1.

 

Will the Eurozone continue to bring weaker economic data?

This week the Germany and Eurozone ZEW economic sentiment reports were released. Particularly, the level of confidence fell to 13.4 in February from 29.3 reported in January. Probably it could be produced by a stational factor, like the weather conditions (winter time). In the panoramic chart, we are watching the current structure, as a corrective formation that could reach new lows in the 1.196 – 1.20 area. The invalidation level is above 1.2476.

 

 

Could the UK CPI have reached their peak?

In the last months, the British CPI apparently reached their peak, with a CPI of 3.1% (YoY) reported in the past year in November. Then in December and January, it achieved a 3.0%, but in February in line with other activity indicators, it has shown a decrease in the economic activity. It is probable that at these levels we are witnessing a stabilisation of the economic activity. In the same way, on the chart, we are watching a potential top pattern as a mother wave that could initiate a new bearish cycle with a target at the base of the sideways channel. The invalidation level is above 1.4345.

 

 

 

Fear of a new war or do we expect a new bearish leg?

The Japanese currency is moving in an ascending diagonal pattern in search for its long-term 108 level resistance. Despite the US attacks against Syria, the price continues moving according to our vision. We expect to find sellers once the price strikes the 108.2 – 108.4 area,  starting a new bearish leg.

The correlation between the Nikkei 225 and the USDJPY pair, bring us a clue about the moves that it could make. The first scenario is a breakout above 21,957 pts for a bullish continuation move, drawing the 22,764 – 23,050 area as a target. In the second scenario, if the price moves making a new bearish leg, we expect that move to reach the 20,660 zone, making a “mother wave”  and starting a new bullish cycle.

 

A new higher high in oils is expected before it starts a corrective move.

Last week the oils, Brent and WTI, reached their highest levels since 2014. For inverse correlation and as it was envisioned by us on January 12th, the Crude Oil VIX ETF reached the Potential Reversal Zone, where it might start a bullish cycle. In practical terms, once the WTI reaches the 67.8 – 68.7 area, it is likely that it begins a corrective move.

 

And concerning Brent Oil, we could see it at a new high, to 72.9 level,  before it starts a falling move.

Falls continuation is limited before the BoC decision.

Next Wednesday 18th the Bank of Canada (BoC) Monetary Policy Meeting will take place. The analysts’ consensus expects that the decision will maintain the interest rate at 1.25%. The price is making a downward cycle since March 19th, and our vision is that the Loonie might fall to the area between 1.245 – 1.254, where it could start an upward move, at least up to 1.274. The invalidation level for the ascending movement is 1.225.