USD down, Gold at fresh record on US government shutdown [Video]

Ipek Ozkardeskaya Swissquote Bank Ltd

The US government has officially shut down after lawmakers failed to agree on funding — and markets are already reacting. The dollar is under pressure, treasury yields are edging lower and safe haven assets including the yen, the Swiss franc and gold are in demand.

But how much do shutdowns really matter for markets? History shows the S&P 500 often shrugs them off — sometimes even gaining during the deadlock. Still, delayed economic data could complicate the picture, especially with US jobs figures in focus this week.

Meanwhile, ADP is set to release its private payrolls report, offering a crucial clue on the labour market while Friday’s official releases risk being stalled.

Author

Ipek Ozkardeskaya

Swissquote Bank Ltd

Ipek Ozkardeskaya began her financial career in 2010 in the structured products desk of the Swiss Banque Cantonale Vaudoise. She worked in HSBC Private Bank in Geneva in relation to high and ultra-high-net-worth clients.

EUR/USD remains bid, focus stays on 1.1900

EUR/USD has broken its two-day run of losses and is ticking modestly higher on Thursday, hovering around the 1.1880 area as the US Dollar struggles to find clear direction. Weekly Initial Jobless Claims rose more than expected, taking a bit of shine off the Greenback, but markets are largely in wait-and-see mode ahead of Friday’s US CPI release.

GBP/USD sticks to the bid bias, still below 1.3700

GBP/USD is trading with decent gains around 1.3650 on Thursday. Indeed, Cable is attempting to shake off the weakness seen earlier in the week amid another choppy session for the Greenback, while a run of disappointing UK data has so far failed to derail the pair’s tentative recovery.

Gold recedes slightly, trades below $5,100

Gold remains stuck in choppy trade on Thursday, deflating marginally just below the $5,100 mark per troy ounce as the US Dollar drifts without a clear trend. Softer US Treasury yields across the curve are offering some support, but with markets treading carefully ahead of Friday’s US CPI release, conviction remains limited and price action continues to look hesitant.