US Dollar consolidates losses, stays afloat above 92 mark
|The US Dollar Index, which tracks the greenback against a basket of six trade-weighted peers, reversed course in the second half of the NA session and dropped to new daily low at 92.06. The index has been spending the last hour consolidating its losses in a tight range and was last seen at 92.13, down 0.28% on the day.
Earlier in the session, the index jumped to a fresh 10-day high at 92.66 after the data from the U.S. showed that consumer prices accelerated at a faster pace than expected. According to the data released by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) rose 0.4% in August, the largest in seven months, pushing the annual CPI rate up to 1.9%. Commenting on the data, “today’s report should ease some of the low inflation concerns among wavering Fed officials, and we continue to expect the leadership will prevail in getting another hike in at the December meeting,” Michael Feroli, an economist at JPMorgan in New York, told Reuters.
- US: CPI for all items rises 0.4% in August as shelter and gasoline indexes increase
- CME Group FedWatch's Dec hike probability rose above 50% on CPI
In fact, following the data, the probability of a 25 bps rate hike in December increased to 51% from 42% according to the CME Group FedWatch Tool.
However, despite the upbeat inflation readings, the greenback struggled to preserve its bullish momentum. Chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee Kevin Brady, the top Republican tax law writer in the U.S. House of Representatives, said that the tax reform framework, which is expected to be announced during the week of September 25, wouldn't contain specific numbers on income tax rates for corporations and individuals. During the first half of the week, hopes of a tax-reform being finalized before the end of the year had fueled the greenback's rally.
Technical outlook
A daily close above 92 (psychological level) could allow the index to make fresh attempts to extend its gains. 92.70 (Sep. 5 high) could be seen as the first target on the north ahead of 93.30 (Aug. 31 high) and 94 (psychological level). On the downside, supports align at 91.40 (Sep. 7 low), 91 (Sep.8 low) and 90 (psychological level).
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