TEHRAN (Iran News) – EUR/USD is trading below 1.21, consolidating Friday’s losses as the market mood is mixed. Upbeat Chinese GDP and US stimulus are cheering markets while Italy’s political crisis and the depressing coronavirus picture is weighing on sentiment.

The upside momentum in EUR/USD run out of steam in the 1.2350 area earlier in the month. The subsequent corrective downside breached already the 1.2100 marks and appears to still have further legs to go. Despite the corrective downside, the outlook for EUR/USD remains constructive and appears supported by prospects of a strong recovery in the region (and abroad), which is in turn underpinned by extra fiscal stimulus by the Fed and the ECB. In addition, real interest rates continue to favor the euro area vs. the US, which is also another factor supporting the EUR along with the huge long positioning in the speculative community.

At the moment, the pair is losing 0.08% at 1.2064 and faces the next support at 1.2059 (2021 low Jan.18) seconded by 1.2058 (weekly low Dec.9) and finally 1.1976 (50% Fibo of the November-January rally). On the flip side, a break above 1.2349 (2021 high Jan.6) would target 1.2413 (monthly high Apr.17, 2018) en route to 1.2476 (monthly high Mar.27 2018).

The improvement in the sentiment surrounding the buck has not only tempered the rally in the pair but is has also cast doubts over the resumption of the uptrend at some point in the short-term.

On another front, further effervescence in the Italian political scenario is expected to slowly return to the markets after PM Conte’s Administration will face a confidence vote on Tuesday.

In the broader picture, the risk-associated space failed to pick up upside traction so far despite the better-than-forecast results from the Chinese docket earlier in the Asian trading hours.

In the euro docket, ECB’s Lagarde and Panetta will participate in the Eurogroup meeting later on Monday. Earlier, the final Italian CPI for the month of December showed consumer prices rose 0.2% MoM and contracted 0.2% YoY.

Nothing scheduled data wise across the pond as US markets will remain closed due to the Martin Luther King Day holiday