Fitch cuts Cyprus to B-, negative outlook
Fitch Ratings has downgraded Cyprus’s long-term foreign currency issuer default rating by one notch to ‘B-‘ from ‘B’ while keeping a negative outlook due to the country’s elevated economic uncertainty. The rating agency had placed Cyprus on negative watch in March. With this decision, Fitch pushed Cyprus further into junk territory, now 6 notches. “Cyprus has no flexibility to deal with domestic or external shocks and there is a high risk of the (EU/IMF) program going off track, with financing buffers potentially insufficient to absorb material fiscal and economic slippage,” Fitch said in a statement.
The EUR/USD finished the day sharply higher, at one point trading all the way up to 1.3107 before leaking lower later in the day to close up 76 pips at 1.3070. Some analysts were pointing towards weaker than expected ISM data from the US as the main catalyst for the bullish move in the pair. Economic data out of the US will slow down a bit the next few days, but volatility is certain to pick up as we approach the ECB Rate Decision on Thursday, as well as the Non-Farm Payrolls number due out of the US on Friday.-FXstreet.com
