The Trump administration has presented its 2018 budget plan to Congress last evening. The budget plan calls to slash $3.6 trillion in government spending over the next decade, mainly reducing the funding for healthcare and social benefits (such as Medicaid, SNAP, pensions for government officials) and Environmental Protection Agency funds.
The cuts are to be used for funding to boost economic growth and to reduce the US deficit. Nevertheless, it will result in numerous needy American citizens losing vital benefits.
The plan forecasts economic growth will be increased to 3% after passing the budget cuts, tax reform, regulation reform and infrastructure plans. However, following the performance of Trump’s administration since taking office, it seems difficult for any of Trump’s plans to be passed smoothly.
Average US annual economic growth is ranging between 1.9% – 2.2%, a 3% target seems to be a big challenge to achieve. The scale of the 2018 budget cut is substantial with a distinct possibility that Congress will reject the plan in its entirety or pass only portions of it.
The dollar index has fallen approximately 2.67% since May 12th, hitting its lowest level of 96.68, post the US presidential election, on May 22. On Tuesday May 23rd, following the announcement of the budget cuts, the dollar index moved higher breaking the resistance level at 97.00 and touching a 3-day high of 97.35 early on Wednesday morning.
On Tuesday, EUR/USD retreated from a 6-and-a-half-month high of 1.1267, breaking the psychological level at 1.1200 as corrective pressures intensified with consolidation around 1.1180 on early Wednesday trading. USD/JPY rebounded around 0.68% from the support at 111.00, hitting a 1-week high of 112.04 on Wednesday morning. USD/JPY is currently consolidating below the psychological resistance level at 112.00.
FOMC May Meeting Minutes will be released at 19:00 BST this evening. Per the CME Fed Watch tool, the probability for a rate hike in June rose to 83.1% after the release of the 2018 budget plan. That said, markets are assuming the Fed will stick to its rate hike pace regardless of Trump’s Russia leak scandal and soft economic data. Keep an eye on the Minutes, we will likely get further clues about a June rate hike and updated economic outlook. Be aware that it will likely cause volatility for USD and USD crosses.
Moody cut China’s sovereign credit rating from Aa3 to A1 due to fears over rising debt levels. The new rating is same as the ratings of Czech Republic, Estonia, Israel, Japan and Saudi Arabia. The adjustment has weighed on the Chinese stock markets.
FxPro UK Limited is authorised and regulated by the Financial Services Authority, registration number 509956. CFDs are leveraged products that incur a high level of risk and it is possible to lose all your capital invested. Please ensure that you understand the risks involved and seek independent advice if necessary.
Disclaimer: This material is considered a marketing communication and does not contain, and should not be construed as containing, investment advice or an investment recommendation or, an offer of or solicitation for any transactions in financial instruments. Past performance is not a guarantee of or prediction of future performance. FxPro does not take into account your personal investment objectives or financial situation. FxPro makes no representation and assumes no liability as to the accuracy or completeness of the information provided, nor any loss arising from any investment based on a recommendation, forecast or other information supplied by any employee of FxPro, a third party or otherwise. This material has not been prepared in accordance with legal requirements promoting the independence of investment research and it is not subject to any prohibition on dealing ahead of the dissemination of investment research. All expressions of opinion are subject to change without notice. Any opinions made may be personal to the author and may not reflect the opinions of FxPro. This communication must not be reproduced or further distributed without the prior permission of FxPro. Risk Warning: CFDs, which are leveraged products, incur a high level of risk and can result in the loss of all your invested capital. Therefore, CFDs may not be suitable for all investors. You should not risk more than you are prepared to lose. Before deciding to trade, please ensure you understand the risks involved and take into account your level of experience. Seek independent advice if necessary. FxPro Financial Services Ltd is authorised and regulated by the CySEC (licence no. 078/07) and FxPro UK Limited is authorised and regulated by the Financial Services Authority, Number 509956.
Recommended Content
Editors’ Picks
AUD/USD holds above 0.6500 in thin trading
The Australian Dollar managed to recover ground against its American rival after AUD/USD fell to 0.6484. The upbeat tone of Wall Street underpinned the Aussie despite broad US Dollar strength and tepid Australian data.
EUR/USD comfortable below 1.0800 lower lows at sight
The EUR/USD pair lost ground on Thursday and settled near a fresh March low of 1.0774. Strong US data and hawkish Fed speakers comments lead the way ahead of the release of the US PCE Price Index on Friday.
Gold price finishes Thursday’s session set to reach new all-time highs
Gold price rallied during the North American session on Thursday and hit a new all-time high of $2,225 in the mid-North American session. Precious metal prices are trending higher even though US Treasury yields are advancing, underpinning the Greenback.
Bitcoin price extends retreat from $69K as old whales shift their holdings to new whales
Bitcoin price continues to move further away from the $69,000 threshold, gaining ground as BTC bulls hope for a retest of the $73,777 peak. This is because of the general assumption that clearing this blockade would set the tone for a reach higher, marking a new all-time high.
Bears have been standing before a steamroller so far this year
Despite a pushback on rate cuts from Christopher Waller, and what was supposed to be cautious trading sentiment ahead of critical US inflation data released later on Friday, the S&P 500 rose on Thursday, marking its best first-quarter performance in five years.