FRANCE: Moody's See Larger Deficit Pointing to Higher Debt Levels Than Expected
Mar-27 11:59
Moody's write that France's larger-than-expected 2023 deficit makes it unlikely that the government will succeed in reducing the deficit to 2.7% of GDP by 2027, and that the latest French numbers point to somewhat higher debt levels for longer than they had previously expected.
Recall we wrote yesterday, the French ’23 deficit/GDP ratio printed at 5.5%. wider than the government’s 4.9% target and in line with pre-release reports/political commentary pointing to 5.4-5.6%.
France’s sovereign credit rating is scheduled to be reviewed by Fitch and Moody’s (April 26th), S&P (May 31st) and Scope Ratings across the next two months.
S&P’s update is likely to get the most interest as they currently have France at AA, with a negative outlook. Fitch has France one notch below at AA-; Outlook Stable.
OUTLOOK: Price Signal Summary - WTI Trend Needle Continues To Point North
Mar-27 11:59
On the commodity front, the trend condition in Gold remains bullish and the move higher on Mar 21, reinforces this condition. The initial rally delivered another all-time high and confirmed a resumption of the primary uptrend. Moving average studies are in a bull-mode condition, reflecting positive market sentiment. This signals scope for a climb towards $2230.1, a 1.50 projection of the Oct 6 - 27 - Nov 13 price swing. Key short-term trend support has been defined at $2146.2, the Mar 18 low.
In the oil space, a bull theme in WTI futures remains intact and the latest pullback appears to be a correction. Recent gains resulted in a break of $79.87, the Mar 1 high. The move higher confirms a resumption of the uptrend that has been in place since mid-December last year. Sights are on $83.87 next, the Oct 20 ‘23 high. Support to watch is $79.83, the 20-day EMA.