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- EUR/USD trades with mild gains around 1.1520 in Monday’s early European session.
- The US and Iran explore a 45-day ceasefire ahead of the deadline.
- ECB policymakers emphasized that policy will remain restrictive until inflation sustainably returns to the target.
The EUR/USD pair posts modest gains near 1.1520 during the early European session on Monday. The Euro (EUR) strengthens against the Greenback amid optimism about the US-Iran ceasefire. The US March ISM Services Purchasing Managers Index (PMI) report is due later on Monday.
Bloomberg reported on Monday, citing Axios, that the US, Iran, and regional mediators are discussing terms for a possible 45-day ceasefire that could lead to an end of fighting. The source said that the chances of reaching a deal over the next 48 hours are low. Earlier, US President Donald Trump extended his deadline by 20 hours, posting a new deadline of Tuesday at 8:00 pm EST (00:00 GMT on Wednesday).
Data on Friday suggested US labor market conditions remained calm in March, though economists warned that a prolonged war in the Middle East posed a downside risk. “Our concern is that with the Middle East conflict showing little sign of coming to an imminent conclusion, an overlay of heightened geopolitical, economic and market angst is not going to incentivise business to suddenly start hiring now,” said ING economist James Knightley.
Hawkish comments from the European Central Bank (ECB) policymakers could support the shared currency. The ECB has maintained a firm commitment to combating inflation. President Christine Lagarde and other Governing Council members have delivered consistent messages, emphasizing that policy will remain restrictive until inflation sustainably returns to the 2% target.
