2009 FX Review

In a year that will end dramatically different than it began, the US Dollar emerged as a focal point amongst global investors. In the final days of 2009 there is a renewed sense of optimism and hope for continued economic recovery, a far cry from investor's nervousness and skepticism that characterized the beginning of the year. The US Dollar, which had received a safe haven bid during the financial crisis, had now become the funding currency for a new carry trade. The so called risk trade of 2009 or Dollar carry trade featured stronger equity and commodity prices at the expense of the Greenback.


While most of 2008 was marred by risk aversion and volatility, investor's appetite for risk-taking had been restored by early spring 2009. A series of measures by the Obama administration and the Federal Reserve reinstilled confidence into the financial institutions and more importantly the market. Solid first quarter results and guidance by the same financial institutions set the table for the risk trade of 2009 to flourish.


The Fed's outward promise to keep rates low for an extended period of time punished the Greenback, allowing commodities to reflate and equity markets to surge to extraordinary yearly gains. Gold prices lept to fresh record highs by summer's end as the risk trade continued to gain momentum. The Dollar carry eventually climaxed at the end of November with the Japanese Yen reaching a fresh 14-year high against the Greenback.


Risk aversion that stemmed from Dubai World's debt postponement created a massive flight-to-safety into bonds. The sudden drop and subsequent recovery in yields highlighted the end of a shrinking yield differential between the US and Japan. The surge in the Yen was a wake-up call for the BOJ, which consequently expressed concerns of deflation due to currency appreciation. While equity markets have remained robust, the Dollar carry has begun to unravel as yields and yield differentials have continued to improve. Expectations of rate hikes by the Fed, along with weakness in the Europe have helped the Greenback to rebound and Gold to plummet heading into 2010.


10 KEY TECHNICAL EVENTS OF 2009 (in chronological order)


1. The USD/JPY fails at 87.05 on January 20th, marking a 4-week double bottom formation. Daily bullish diverging studies help buoy a recovery that lasts 10 weeks.

2. At 67% below it's 200-day MA, bullish diverging daily studies buoy the Dow Jones Industrial Average out of a short-term falling wedge on March 9th. The unprecedented recovery from the March lows has lasted nearly 9 months and continues to mark fresh year-to-date highs.


3. The EUR/USD convingly clears the 20-day MA on March 11th for the first time in 2009. The Dollar Index (DXY) closes below the 20-day MA to highlight a false-break pattern of the November 2008 high.


4. The USD/JPY clears the 200-day MA only days before, but on April 6th ends a 10-week recovery by rejecting near 101.60, a former key pivot support level. This would mark the USD/JPY's 2009 high.


5. On June 16th the EUR/USD rebounds off a key Fibonacci retracement at 1.3748 (38.2% of the entire range from the 2008 high to 2009 low) after same pivot formerly served as resistance. The EUR/USD respected the 50% and 61.8% retracement pivots in the ensuing months.


6. Gold breaks above a 4-week trendline on September 2nd, then breaches a 3-month trendline a few hours later. The following day, Gold breaks-out of a 16-month triangle pattern, ending months of consolidation. A month later Gold reaches a new all-time high.


7. The USD/JPY briefly probes below 85.00 before recovering on November 27th. The capitulation-type low marks a wide ranging white spinning top formation. The USD/JPY rallies off the 14-year low, recovering 8 Yen in the last 4 weeks.


8. The 2-year Treasury yield recovers from a steep decline, nearly reaching .60% on November 30th. The subsequent recovery highlights a possible a 11-month double bottom. Yields across the curve have enjoyed a spectacular run to end the year.


9. Gold hits another fresh record high above 1225 on December 3rd ahead of a bearish close. A daily spinning top formation at extraordinarily overbought levels on weekly and daily studies confirm Gold's blow-off top formation.


10. The EUR/USD breaks down out of a large 9-month rising wedge and a smaller 4-week rising wedge on December 4th to highlight a 10-day double top formation. A daily RSI triangle breakout and subsequent loss of 50-day MA support highlight a change in trend that has benefitted the DXY the last few weeks of the year.

(http://fxtrends2010.blogspot.com for 2010 posts)