AltimaCRM by Intivion Technologies, one of the most
innovative Forex CRM solutions on the market, will be attending the upcoming
iFX EXPO Dubai 2025. Held on January 14-16 at the Dubai World Trade Centre,
AltimaCRM will be showcasing its cutting-edge management tools to a global
audience of brokers, prop firms, trading platform providers, and more. Attendees
looking for scalable CRM solutions for Forex brokers can book a meeting to explore AltimaCRM or head over
to Booth #30 during the event.

Intivion already
has over 300 integrations including but not limited MT5, MT4, TradingView and
Trading Central, striking several key partnerships and integrations with
platform and trading providers. Meet face-to-face, schedule a demo with the
industry’s best Forex CRM, or see what AltimaCRM can offer your online trading business
this January in Dubai.

AltimaCRM’s
Advanced Solutions on Full Display at iFX EXPO Dubai 2025

As one of
the most versatile CRMs for Forex brokers, AltimaCRM specialises in a wide
range of functionality. This includes harnessing the latest CRM automation,
enabling record setting Forex lead conversions, effortless management, and
scalability. Of course, all Forex brokers are looking for a CRM that offers the
best sales automation and retention tools, so what makes AltimaCRM unique?

AltimaCRM
is the core CRM platform any broker needs to streamline operations and
enhance profitability. With AltimaCRM’s flexible and versatile interface, users
can optimise their retention data, helping prioritise the most pertinent data
for any retention team. Using centralised data, team members can synergise with
each other and achieve the best results.

Success
starts with centralised communication for Forex brokers and 2025 will be no
different. This is why AltimaCRM was engineered specifically to improve every
element of a broker’s operations. Using friction-free connectivity and leading Forex
compliance CRM tools, brokers can say goodbye to data silos by managing
thousands of leads across various platforms for actionable real-time insights
and data.

Leverage instant
end-to-end automation helps aggregate data and reporting across the entire
spectrum of business functions, resulting in optimal sales performance. Put
AltimaCRM to work for your brokerage and customise any Forex customer journey
through refined touchpoints and a personalised client experience.

Prop Trading CRM Integration

AltimaCRM’s
recent integration with Brokeree’s Prop Pulse system now supports the latest
proprietary trading services. Users can take advantage of several key features,
including the launch of their own proprietary trading services, complete with
tools to start and manage prop trading operations effortlessly.

Prop
Pulse’s synergy with AltimaCRM is on full display, allowing for a completely unified
solution for all prop trading needs and a seamless customer journey. Users can create
multi-step challenges, with structured programs to assess individual traders.
When it comes to prop trading capabilities, AltimaCRM has got you covered
giving you everything you need in managing prop trading operations.

Scale
Any Operation with AltimaIB

For brokers
and introducing brokers seeking powerful tools to both manage and grow
affiliate programs, AltimaIB is the best way to accelerate any business growth.
Launch a Forex partnership program with ease that is built to scale over time.

Any
long-term operation needs the best partners and AltimaIB can help recruit them.
Disrupt traditional partnerships through innovative solutions to help identify
and attract high-performing affiliates. Put AltimaIB to work for you with
customisable commission structures that are designed to manage and incentivise
affiliates.

This
solution can help optimise any revenue stream with tailored tools brokers need.
Whether this is done by boosting capabilities for affiliate reporting or simply
accelerating business growth, see why more brokers trust AltimaIB.

Supercharge
Your Sales Team with AltimaVoIP

Sales teams
deserve the best tools to help train for success. With AltimaVOIP, customer
service is supercharged with state-of-the-art communication tools that help
maximise forex brokers’ customer service and sales potential.

This is
achieved through seamless VoIP integration with any tech stack or operation,
helping eliminate pain points before they even start and fostering smooth
communication. Brokers can train their team with real-time call tracking,
monitoring, and quality assurance.

With
AltimaVoIP, Forex brokers can set the standard for customer service, not only
setting a new industry standard in quality, but equipping any agents or team
with the tools they need to deliver.

Are you
interested in advanced Forex CRM solutions for compliance and lead conversion? Learn
how AltimaCRM or Intivion’s diverse product lineup can take your customer
experience and business to the next level. Find out more by scheduling a demo with the team or by visiting Booth 30#
at iFX EXPO Dubai 2025 this January!

About
Intivion Technologies

Intivion
Technologies is a bespoke provider of advanced Forex Trading CRM solutions and capabilities
for brokers. As a one stop technology solutions partner for over 15 years, the
company provides an agile tool suite for any broker operation via its flagship
product AltimaCRM. This solution represents the industry’s best performing
forex CRM that more brokers trust to deliver the results they need.

This article was written by FL Contributors at www.forexlive.com.

It’s a bit of a tricky one this time around with gold prices rising by over 27% already in 2024. Things have cooled off in November and December so far but that arguably owes much to the US election result, which in turn has also impacted the Fed outlook somewhat for next year. A surging dollar has helped to keep things in check, for now at least.

With gold poised to snap its December hot streak (there is still time to recover that of course), is January – typically gold’s best performing month – also under threat?

The recent seasonal pattern also suggests that January is the best month for gold over the past decade. However, that hasn’t quite been the case in the post-pandemic era. One can argue that in part, there is some frontrunning in the buying in December. But is it perhaps to do with China also struggling during this period? After all, there is always the thought of that gold rush coming through ahead of the Lunar New Year celebrations.

That being said, China itself has been a big fan of gold in the last 12 months. That in spite of what the central buying data might suggest.

Looking to next month, there are a couple of things that could set gold back to start the new year. The big one of course is market players still having the fresh memory of a more hawkish Fed from last week. That has put the dollar in a decent spot and we could see broader markets pick up from that momentum at the turn of the year.

The other is that gold has suffered a bit from a technical perspective in the past week. We saw price dip below is 100-day moving average for the first time in over a year but gold buyers did salvage that in recent sessions. The key level is seen at $2,616 currently and price is trading above that at around $2,635 today. That said, it’s tough to look into things when liquidity conditions are thin but this will definitely be a spot to watch when we resume normality next week.

If buyers can maintain the technical control, that will be a positive boost for gold to stick with the January trend.

This article was written by Justin Low at www.forexlive.com.

At the end of the day, policymakers can and will spin the narrative to however they see fit with their decision. And with the BOJ these days, the leaked reports leading up to their meeting seem to be the more important part of the narrative.

The latest inflation numbers from Japan’s capital here today might just keep things in play at the balance. But any such thinking runs in contradiction with the message from BOJ governor Ueda itself here last week.

That being said, he was careful to have not explicitly ruled out a January move. However, he did cast plenty of doubt on that and tried to suggest that they’d be more comfortable in waiting until March perhaps.

The Japanese yen is slightly higher today after the data but again, we’re still caught in holiday-thin trading. So, I wouldn’t look too much into that. If traders have to phase out the odds for a BOJ rate hike next month, there will some scaling back to do for the yen. That considering traders are pricing the decision to be nearly a coin flip for now.

This article was written by Justin Low at www.forexlive.com.

At this stage last year, we were talking about how the Fed might cut rates by around six times in 2024. This time around, we’re talking about how they might not even get to two rate cuts in 2025. As thing stand, traders are pricing in just ~36 bps of rate cuts for next year as seen here.

And among those central banks that are slated to continue cutting interest rates, the Fed is the one that market players are seeing with the highest probability of cutting the least. How the times have changed.

The dollar long con looks to be brought forward. But what has changed?

The biggest thing of course is the US election result. Trump’s win has definitely altered the landscape with threats of large scale tariffs against US trade partners and tax cuts. That has thrown a spanner in the works of the Fed, who are still hoping to get inflation back towards 2%.

The disinflation process has proven to be a bit bumpy also as of late, albeit still largely running its course. However, the muddied outlook now makes it tough to envisage a smooth and clear path back towards the 2% target. Not least with the US consumer still running hot, despite a softening labour market.

So, the real risk for the dollar now ties back to the economy and how Trump’s policies might impact all of that. The outlook now hinges on the notion that Trump will eventually get his way in executing his campaign pledges. And that’s reflected in the more hawkish Fed pricing by markets and arguably also among policymakers at the latest FOMC meeting.

As such, the reaction function suggests that any tail risk that materially leads to a different scenario other than that will be bad for the dollar. That being these few couple of situations:

1. The economy turns out to be much softer in 2025, with labour market slack gathering pace
2. The disinflation process stays the course and resumes a quicker pace again in the new year
3. Trump tariffs are not as forceful and high octane as anticipated, leading to less inflation fears
4. Trump tax cuts hit a bit of a snag and gives markets more time to digest the whole situation

I would argue that right now, emotions are still running high particularly after the latest Fed policy decision. The dot plots and Powell’s remarks suggest a pause in January, which might extend further depending on economic developments.

That’s giving the dollar a tailwind going into the turn of the year. But as we saw with how things played out this year, this sort of tailwind can eventually dissipate and turn the other way around. At some point in the middle of 2024, we were talking about just one rate cut by the Fed for the year as opposed to the six priced in during December 2023.

So, that is pretty much where we’re at. It’s a case of markets having a rough idea of what may transpire in 2025 but nothing is a given. In trading, the journey is just as important as the destination at the end of the day.

This article was written by Justin Low at www.forexlive.com.

• China’s MIIT predicts a 5.7% y/y growth in industrial output for the January to December
• China’s industrial profits decline four straight months, but at a slower rate
• Japan finance minister Kato – alarmed by FX moves, driven by speculators
• South Korea says it has a North Korean soldier in custody
• China November Industrial profit Year to Date (YTD) -4.7% y/y (prior -4.3%)
• PBOC sets USD/ CNY reference rate for today at 7.1893 (vs. estimate at 7.2981)
• Japan inflation data and BoJ December summary raise expectations of a January rate hike
• BoJ December 2024 Summary of Opinions – ‚Gradual increase in CPI‘
• Japan Retail sales for November: +2.8% y/y (expected +1.6%)
• Japan Industrial Production for November (preliminary): -2.3% m/m (expected -3.4%)
• Japan data: October Unemployment rate 2.5% (expected 2.5%)
• Tokyo area December inflation data: Headline 3.0% y/y (expected 2.9%)
• Catch up – OPEC+ does not have „the bandwidth to prop prices much higher“
• Catch up – World Bank raised its 2024 China growth forecast to 4.9%, from 4.8% previously
• Catch up – Further supportive measures in store for China housing sector in 2025
• Catch up – China revises up 2023 GDP by 2.7% from previous estimate
• Trade ideas thread Friday, 27 December, 2024, insightful charts, technical analysis, ideas

In
US time on Thursday USD/JPY traded to circa 158.09,
its
highest
since mid-July this
year. The pair pulled back toward 157.50 during the session here,
responding to:

• December
  inflation
  in Tokyo accelerated for a second month, the government temporarily
  phased out utility subsidies;
• the
  ‘Summary of opinions’ from the Bank of Japan December meeting
  (when the bank maintained its policy rate at 0.25%) showed the policy
  board members remaining optimistic in its assessment that the
  economy and inflation are moving in line with its projections –
  amidst caveats of course – supporting market expectations for a
  near-term rate hike, perhaps as soon as the January 23-24, 2025 meeting.

JPY
crosses slid also. EUR/JPY’s slide was cushioned somewhat by a
drift down a few points for EUR/USD. There were no fresh notable news items for the euro.

From
China
today
we had data showing that industrial
profits extended
their
decline to a fourth straight month, dropping 7.3%. The
flip side, if you prefer a brighter take, is that the fall was slower than the
10% drop in October. The YTD figure worsened, to -4.7% in
January-November from -4.3% in the January-October period.

Regional equities rose, following a lead from higher Wall Street.

This article was written by Eamonn Sheridan at www.forexlive.com.

S&P 500 futures are down 0.4% with Nasdaq futures down 0.5% and Dow futures down 0.4% as well. Trading conditions are mired by thin liquidity as we are still in the holiday period for markets. Europe is out for the day and so will Canada, leaving only US markets to open later. But during a period like this, don’t expect market players to do much in any case. Not until the new year at least.

Coming up though, we do have the weekly initial jobless claims. So, that will add to some intrigue on Christmas week. The S&P 500 itself has largely erased its post-Fed drop and that’s vindicating dip buyers going into the turn of the year. Here’s a look at the chart:

This article was written by Justin Low at www.forexlive.com.

This according to the NPC Standing Committee, as announced yesterday. For now, the agenda is said to encompass „reviewing the government work report, and examining the report on the implementation of the annual plan on national economic and social development for 2024 and the draft plan on national economic and social development for 2025“.

Adding to that, there will be the usual budget deliberations for both the central government and local councils.

This is typically China’s biggest political event as it will not only set out their goals and targets for the year, but also outline their resolve in achieving them. This will see all lawmakers and politicians gather in Beijing to sort out these economic and social issues.

The political event tends to last for about two weeks. However, do expect plenty of commentary to follow when we get things started in early March next year.

This article was written by Justin Low at www.forexlive.com.

Bitcoin Price Update and Forecast:

Bitcoin (BTC/USD) appears poised to cross the $100,000 mark again as current price action aligns with bullish technical indicators on the daily chart. Here’s a quick breakdown:

1. Donchian Channel Basis Acting as a Magnet:The basis of the Donchian Channel sits at $100,252, which is currently acting as a price magnet. This behavior is reasonable because the basis (halfway point between the recent high and low) often represents equilibrium where buyers and sellers converge. Markets naturally gravitate toward this „mean“ before deciding on the next significant move, and with Bitcoin’s price steadily climbing, the basis is drawing it upward.

2. RSI Trending Bullish:The RSI (Relative Strength Index) at 54 is comfortably above the 50-neutral line, indicating mild bullish momentum. Notably, it has been rising for the past three days, signaling strengthening buying pressure. While not yet overbought, the RSI hints at further room for upside.

3. Momentum and Price Structure:Recent candles show a sequence of higher lows, reinforcing the short-term bullish structure. If the $100,252 level is breached decisively, it could act as a springboard for a move toward the recent highs near $108,000.

Outlook:

• Primary Target: Breaching $100,252 should open the door for a test of higher levels, with $105,000 and $108,000as key resistance zones.
• Support to Watch: A failure to sustain above $99,000 could lead to consolidation near $96,000.

Overall, with the RSI rising and the Donchian Channel basis acting as a magnet, Bitcoin seems well-positioned for another push above $100,000. Keep an eye on how price interacts with the basis for confirmation of the next directional move. There are many ways to perform technical analysis and none of this is a crystal ball so always do your own research and invest or trade bitcoin at your own risk only. Visit ForexLive.com for additional views.

This article was written by Itai Levitan at www.forexlive.com.

• Expects Japan to further progress towards 2% inflation in stable, sustainable manner
• Uncertainty surrounding economy, price outlook is high
• Must avoid returning to deflation or low inflation environment
• As Japan transitions towards sustained achievement of 2% inflation, BOJ will support the economy by keeping rates below the neutral level
• But as economic, price developments continue to improve, BOJ must raise rates accordingly
• Leaving accommodative policy for too long could lead to sharp increase in interest rates
• That in turn will be negative for long-lasting economic growth
• It would be desirable for BOJ to guide policy so that it does not reach zero lower bound again

Just some token remarks there by Ueda but he’s not giving anything away on the January decision this time. But his remarks last week here will definitely still be echoing into the new year. So, do keep that in mind when taking stock of the BOJ when markets get back on the saddle in January.

This article was written by Justin Low at www.forexlive.com.

In other China news:

• China has passed a law introducing a value added tax. Will take effect on January 1 2026 according to Xinhua …. another year away
• Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) on March 4
• China’s National People’s Congress will be held March 5, 2025

This article was written by Eamonn Sheridan at www.forexlive.com.