After limited movement for more than a week, the euro took a hit late Wednesday after the Federal Reserve policy statement. EUR/USD has steadied on Thursday, as the pair trades in the high-1.28 range in the European session. Taking a look at Thursday's releases, the ECB announced its first Targeted Long Term Refinancing Option (TLTRO) of 82.6 billion euros. In the US, there are three key events on the calendar - Building Permits, Unemployment Claims and the Philly Fed Manufacturing Index. As well, Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen will deliver remarks at an event in Washington.

The US dollar gained close to 100 points on Wednesday following the Federal Reserve statement. The Fed statement reaffirmed that interest rates would remain ultra-low for a "considerable time" after the asset purchase scheme (QE) ends next month, but surprised the markets in hinting that once a rate hike was introduced, rate levels could move up more quickly than expected. As expected, the Fed trimmed QE by $10 billion/month, and the remaining $15 billion/month is scheduled to be phased out in October.

In an effort to combat deflation in the Eurozone, the ECB announced the results of its first TLTRO. This lending program aims to bolster the economy by increasing bank lending to the real economy. The ECB said that the take-up by European banks amounted to 82.3 billion euros, which was well short of estimates that ranged from 100-300 billion. Still, it's too early to declare the program a failure, and traders and investors will have to wait till the next TLTRO in December before reaching conclusions as to the scheme's success.

US inflation data was worse than expected on Wednesday. CPI, the primary gauge of consumer inflation, came in at -0.2%, its first drop since October. The estimate stood at +0.1%. Core CPI followed suit with a flat reading of 0.0%. This was the first time the index failed to post a gain since October 2010. The weak numbers follow disappointing manufacturing inflation data. PPI, a key event, dipped to just 0.0%, a 3-month low. The estimate stood at 0.1%. Core PPI slipped to 0.1%, down from 0.2% a month earlier. This matched the forecast. Low inflation continues to be a concern and could delay an interest rate hike in 2015.

Earlier in the week ,German ZEW Economic Confidence, a key event, slipped to 6.9 points last month. The indicator has now dropped over nine consecutive months, down from a high of 62.0 points back in November. Eurozone ZEW Economic Sentiment followed a similar downturn, coming in at 14.2 points, its eighth straight decline. The German indicator managed to beat the estimate of 5.2 points, but the Eurozone figure was well short of the forecast of 21.3 points. The weak data points to weak confidence in the German and Eurozone economies, which does not bode well for the slumping euro.

EURUSD

EUR/USD 1.2880 H: 1.2907 L: 1.2849

This article is for general information purposes only. It is not investment advice or a solution to buy or sell securities.

Opinions are the authors — not necessarily OANDA’s, its officers or directors. OANDA’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy apply. Leveraged trading is high risk and not suitable for all. You could lose all of your deposited funds.

Recommended Content


Recommended Content

Editors’ Picks

AUD/USD recovers further toward 0.6800 on risk-recovery

AUD/USD recovers further toward 0.6800 on risk-recovery

AUD/USD extends recovery toward 0.6800 in Asian trading on Thursday, despite mixed Australian employment data. The Aussie cheers a return of risk appetite, which weighs on the post-Fed US Dollar recovery. All eyes now remain on US economic data for fresh impetus. 

AUD/USD News
USD.JPY reverses sharply from 144.00, as US Dollar recovery fizzles

USD.JPY reverses sharply from 144.00, as US Dollar recovery fizzles

USD/JPY is attacking 143.00 in Thursday's Asian session, reversing sharply from 144.00. The pair pares back gains in tandem with the US Dollar, as the latter's post-Fed recovery falters due to a rebound in risk sentiment. The focus is next on the US data due later today and Friday's BoJ decision. 

USD/JPY News
Gold defends $2,550 in the Fed’s aftermath, ahead of US data

Gold defends $2,550 in the Fed’s aftermath, ahead of US data

Gold price is defending $2,550 early Thursday, catching a breath after intense volatility witnessed in the aftermath of the all-important US Federal Reserve monetary policy announcements and Fed Chairman Jerome Powell’s press conference.

Gold News
Bitcoin surges to $62,000 mark after 50 bps Fed rate cut

Bitcoin surges to $62,000 mark after 50 bps Fed rate cut

Bitcoin and Ripple eye for a rally as they break and find support around their resistance barrier. Meanwhile, Ethereum demonstrates signs of recovery as it approaches a critical resistance level, indicating that an upward rally could be on the horizon if it successfully breaks through.

Read more
Australian Unemployment Rate expected to hold steady at 4.2% in August

Australian Unemployment Rate expected to hold steady at 4.2% in August

The Australian Bureau of Statistics will release the monthly employment report at 1:30 GMT on Thursday. The country is expected to have added 25K new positions in August, while the Unemployment Rate is foreseen to remain steady at 4.2%.

Read more
Moneta Markets review 2024: All you need to know

Moneta Markets review 2024: All you need to know

VERIFIED In this review, the FXStreet team provides an independent and thorough analysis based on direct testing and real experiences with Moneta Markets – an excellent broker for novice to intermediate forex traders who want to broaden their knowledge base.

Read More

Majors

Cryptocurrencies

Signatures