ECB Lagarde's hawkish tone at Sintra: implications for $EURUSD by month-end
Lagarde's comments at Sintra this week leaned notably hawkish, indicating a firmer commitment to fighting inflation than some had anticipated. With the recent $INR strength, and given the current 12.98 level, there's a growing divergence in central bank rhetoric. I'd put the odds at 60% that we see $EURUSD test the 1.0950 level by month-end. This isn't just about rate differentials anymore; it's about perceived policy resolve. Failure to hold 1.0880 could see a retest of 1.0820, but the current momentum suggests upward pressure is more likely in the short term, especially if upcoming PMI data confirms a resilient Eurozone economy.
While Lagarde's tone was indeed hawkish, I'm not sure $INR strength directly plays into the $EURUSD move as much as you suggest. The market might be more focused on rate hike pace versus the terminal rate.