Category Archives: dollar

Review: US Dollar Index

We cover prior analysis on the U.S. Dollar and project targets based on the work of Edson Gould.

Review

On February 16, 2021 and July 11, 2021, we wrote pieces on the U.S. Dollar Index.  In the February 2021 piece, we closed with the comment:

“We're not as worried about the decline to a new low as much as we are concerned about a sudden rise to the upside.”

In the the July 2021 article, we said:

“If the Index can exceed the 103.21 level, the Index will likely achieve 118.03 and make a move to the descending upside speed resistance lines at 133.90.”

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As we’ve said in the past, we’re not specialist in the mechanics of the dollar.  However, price seems to be something we’re more attuned to.

Price Momentum Review

Based on the price momentum data, the U.S. Dollar Index appears to be just past the historical mid-point on the way to a new peak.  In the last cycle from the low, the process of peaking lasted slightly more that one year (March 7, 2018 to April 25, 2019).  We’d look for a similar ascent covering approximately the same timeframe, until proven otherwise.  This suggests that the current run should peak around May-July 2022.

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Upside Targets

It is very difficult to make a case for the downside especially with the ascending double bottoms of 2008 and 2011.  To gauge the upside prospects based on the double bottom, we need only go back to the 1995 low at 80.27 and the subsequent peak of 120.90 in July 2001.  The increase at that time was approximately +50.61%.  Applying that same percentage increase to the 72.93 low in 2011, we arrive at a intermediate peak of 109.84.

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According to the work of Edson Gould’s Speed Resistance Lines, there should be little downside risk.  However, we’re always cognizant of the risk and the prospect of declining back to the 2008 levels.  Having said that, the U.S. Dollar Index appears to be using the 118.03 level as the support.  This means that the upside risk is between 109.84 and 118.03.

1971-2021: U.S. Dollar Index

Below is a review of the U.S. Dollar Index apply Edson Gould’s Upside Speed Resistance Lines. Continue reading

US Dollar: February 2021

We have received questions about the US Dollar index and while we are not specialists in the Forex market, the tools we used to assess equity markets, to a certain degree, could be leveraged on this topic.

There's a high probability that unlimited amounts of money printing will lead to weaker currencies and we are seeing assets moved away from the US Dollar to other alternatives such as equities, real estate, precious metal, and even crypto currencies.

The US Dollar peaked in March 2020 at 103 but has fallen -13% since then. Double digit fluctuations in currencies is substantial and should be examined.

To see how far this downward trend can go, we have utilized the Year-Over-Year model (YoY) and reviewed the past for reference.

The chart below shows the year-over-year percentage change of the US Dollar Index, in this case we use DX-Y from Yahoo Finance. We can see that average change is virtually flat at 0%.

Applying +/-1 standard deviation range to establish a trading range of +/- 10%. Currently the index is at -9% for the year and approaching a bottom of the boundary. Given that the Federal Reserve has no intention to stop printing money in the near term, we forecast that this index could reach -15% before any reversal to the declining trend.

As a reference point, we can look back at the financial crisis time frame when the index registered a triple bottom between 2008-2011.

It can be argued that we are in a similar environment where the Fed must print their way out. A near-term bottom could be in place but a risk of double or triple bottom is possible based on the precedence.

We're not as worried about the decline to a new low as much as we are concerned about a sudden rise to the upside.

Dollar Down, Gold Up?

We're not the best observers of the dollar/gold relationship.  However, We have noticed some discussion of the idea that if the dollar declines then the price of gold will (continue to) rise.  This logic seem to make perfect sense, on the surface.  However, we couldn't help but notice that when viewed over a long period of time the idea of gold going up while the dollar is going down doesn't add up.
In the chart below, we see point A as the peak in the price of gold (red line) and point B as the trough.  Correspondingly, we have the trade weighted dollar (blue line) with point C being the peak and point D as the trough.  Because the period of time that lapsed was nearly ten years when the "price" of both the dollar and gold declined at the same time, it seems challenging to cling to the belief that if one falls the other rises in value.
1973-2001
Interestingly, in the period before point A, both indexes rose for a short while.  During points A-C and D-B there was an inverse relationship.  Additionally, the period from 2001 to the present has maintained an inverse relationship with the price of gold going up while the dollar has fallen.

Overall, the number of years that there is a correlation between the dollar and gold is almost the same as the inverse relationship.  Because of the inconsistency of the relationship between gold and the dollar, the "obvious" conclusion doesn't seem to fit.

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