Fed meeting to be 'overlooked' by markets amid Trump tariff and tax uncertainty

Matthew Ryan, CFA Ebury

The holiday shortened week in the US yielded little to change our macroeconomic forecasts in either direction, although a weaker than expected PMI release did help currencies worldwide rally against the Dollar.

Yet, fears of Trump's tariffs remain the core driver of currency markets. For now, the onslaught of executive orders has yet to result in any tariff increases, which has calmed nerves somewhat, as has hints of no more than 10% trade duties on China.

This week’s Federal Reserve meeting could be overlooked by market participants.

Futures markets are effectively assigning zero chance of another rate reduction on Wednesday, and we wholeheartedly agree.

For now, we expect the FOMC to adopt a patient approach, as it awaits more details of Trump’s tariff and tax plans before it delivers any concrete guidance.

Author

Matthew Ryan, CFA

Ebury

Matthew is Global Head of Market Strategy at FX specialist Ebury, where he has been part of the strategy team since 2014. He provides fundamental FX analysis for a wide range of G10 and emerging market currencies.

AUD/USD sits near a one-month top, above 0.7000 amid fresh USD selling

AUD/USD holds above 0.7000 through the Asian session, trading near a one-month high touched earlier this Monday amid renewed US Dollar selling. US bond yields decline further amid a modest pullback in crude oil prices, capping the USD recovery from a three-week low. Moreover, bets for a November RBA rate hike support the Aussie, though upside seems capped ahead of the crucial two-day FOMC meeting, starting Tuesday.

USD/JPY struggles below 157.00 on weak USD; holds above one-month low ahead of Fed, BoJ meetings

USD/JPY attracts fresh sellers during the Asian session on Monday, stalling its recovery from the lowest level since September 18, touched Friday as a further decline in US bond yields weighs on the US Dollar. Meanwhile, the Japanese Yen benefits from a more hawkish BoJ, further weighing on the currency pair. The downside, however, seems limited as traders keenly await Fed and BoJ policy meetings later this week.

Gold sticks to modest recovery gains above $4,000 as Fed hike bets cap upside

Gold stages a modest recovery from the vicinity of a three-month low, trading above the $4,000 psychological mark through Monday’s Asian session amid a softer US Dollar. US President Donald Trump has ruled out immediate military action against Iran, triggering a modest pullback in crude oil prices. Furthermore, Federal Reserve officials have signaled no urgency to raise interest rates immediately.

Cardano's derivatives and on-chain data confirm bears in control

Cardano extends losses, trading below $0.202 after three consecutive weeks of more than 20% declines since early October. Selling pressure continues to build as weakening derivatives metrics, bearish on-chain signals and a deteriorating technical outlook point to further downside risks. Derivatives data shows a bearish bias for Cardano.

CFTC Report: WTI rally runs ahead of positioning

The week in one sentence: WTI prices surged while speculative longs were cut in the week to October 20, creating the clearest price/positioning divergence. Sterling and the Canadian Dollar led the constructive currency shift, while Yen longs also rebuilt. Speculators turned less constructive on the WTI, reducing their net exposure to around 89.3K contracts.

What November 3 means for the Fed's rate path and the US Dollar

The USD faces a decisive period ahead of the November 3 midterm elections. While markets anticipate another interest rate increase from the Fed in December, the battle for control of Congress could reshape fiscal policy expectations and, indirectly, the path of US monetary policy in 2027.