Conflict prevails in the foreign exchange market as a number of economic themes and events continue to affect exchange rates, according to Forex.com’s research director Jane Foley.

Foley said concerns regarding slowing production in China and fears over a double-dip recession in the US had been compounded by the warnings over the pace of the global recovery by the International Monetary Fund.

However, the research director said there were positive signs emerging as well, with stock market valuations remaining cheap and corrections in the commodities markets.

She said: “This recovery in risk is reflected in the FX market most obviously in a softer tone of the yen which has performed poorly across the board but most clearly versus the Australian dollar.

“While a correction from oversold conditions may have been inevitable in stocks, doubts over the pace of the global recovery and fears over the results of the EU’s stress tests should be sufficient to limit aggressive long positions on risk in the coming weeks.”

Foley said the outlook for the euro was marred by the concerns over the health of the banking sector, including the impact of stress testing by the European Union.

She said: “It has also intensified fears over the ability of banks to recapitalise themselves now that market sentiment is weighed down by concerns over sovereign default.

“US banks in 2009 managed to recapitalise themselves faster than consensus expectations but investor interest was underpinned by what were perceived to be rock solid government guarantees.”