|

Will the US Dollar Pump or Dump after this week's NFP [Video]

  • The U.S. Dollar remains weak near year-to-date lows, lacking momentum for an upside move ahead of Friday’s crucial NFP report.
  • Key economic data this week, ISM PMIs and ADP employment, could influence the Dollar’s direction, with NFP acting as the decisive factor for rate cut expectations.
  • A weak Dollar may boost major currency pairs and gold, while a break below 99 could push the Dollar toward year-to-date lows, and a break above 99.7 could signal recovery.
Youtube preview

As we approach the release of the U.S. Non-Farm Payrolls (NFP) report this Friday, anticipation is building around the Dollar's next move, along with major currency pairs. The U.S. Dollar may either continue its downside trajectory or find a spark for renewed recovery. It’s also important to note that the greenback remains near its year-to-date lows, suggesting potential for further bearish movement, especially given the lack of strong signals that the Dollar is regaining traction on a global scale.

Daily – No momentum for upside still

What does not look good for Dollar bulls is the greenback is still lacking strength and trading below equilibrium of the overall daily range. Dollar failed to hold the 100 level and the risk of trading below the 99 level is increasing as the Dollar will yet to experience volatility on the incoming red folders for the U.S. Dollar.

Key red folders for the Dollar and majors

Key high impact news to watch out this week are the ISM Manufacturing PMI, which is expected to remain in contraction territory, followed by Wednesday’s ADP Employment data and ISM Services PMI. A strong ADP number may give the Dollar some lift ahead of NFP, but the real test comes Friday.

Markets are pricing in a sharp slowdown in job creation, from 177K to 130K, and any significant miss could drive the Dollar sharply lower, especially if wage growth also cools. On the other hand, if the NFP surprises to the upside and wage data holds steady, it could renew confidence in the Dollar and reduce expectations of Fed rate cuts. If the NFP surprises to the upside and wage data holds steady, it could renew confidence in the Dollar and reduce expectations of Fed rate cuts.

Major Impact on the "majors" and Gold

For EUR/USD and GBP/USD, a weak Dollar could push prices higher, while USD/JPY may unwind if yields drop. Same case can be applied with AUD/USD, NZD/USD, USD/CAD and USD/CHF. Gold, which thrives on Dollar weakness, could also push the safe-haven asset to news highs with low hanging target at 3400 level if Friday’s data disappoints. With the Dollar hovering near year's all-time low, this week’s data will likely set the tone for the next big move.

Technical outlook on the greenback

A breakdown of the 99.129 level down to 99 could increase pressure on the U.S. Dollar that could further send it to the year-to-date lows.

A breakout of the 99.700 level could renew Dollar strength for a potential recovery.

Author

Jasper Osita

Jasper Osita

ACY Securities

Jasper has been in the markets since 2019 trading currencies, indices and commodities like Gold. His approach in the market is heavily accompanied by technical analysis, trading Smart Money Concepts (SMC) with fundamentals in mind.

More from Jasper Osita
Share:

Markets move fast. We move first.

Orange Juice Newsletter brings you expert driven insights - not headlines. Every day on your inbox.

By subscribing you agree to our Terms and conditions.

Editor's Picks

EUR/USD flatlines below 1.1800 amid trading lull, awaits Fed Minutes

EUR/USD trades around a flatline below 1.1800 in European trading on Tuesday. The pair lacks any trading impetus as the US Dollar moves little amid market caution ahead of the Fed's December Meeting Minutes release, which could offer insights into the Federal Reserve’s 2026 outlook.

GBP/USD retakes 1.3500 despite the year-end grind

GBP/USD finds fresh demand and retakes 1.3500 on Tuesday as markets grind through the last trading week of the year. Despite the latest uptick, the pair is unlikely to see further progress due to the year-end holiday volumes.

Gold holds the bounce on Fed rate cut bets, safe-haven flows

Gold holds the rebound near $4,350 in the European trading hours on Tuesday. The precious metal recovers some lost ground after falling 4.5% in the previous session, which was Gold's largest single-day loss since October. Increased margin requirements on gold and silver futures by the Chicago Mercantile Exchange Group, one of the world’s largest trading floors for commodities, prompted widespread profit-taking and portfolio rebalancing.

Tron steadies as Justin Sun invests $18 million in Tron Inc.

Tron (TRX) trades above $0.2800 at press time on Monday, hovering below the 50-day Exponential Moving Average (EMA) at $0.2859.

Economic outlook 2026-2027 in advanced countries: Solidity test

After a year marked by global economic resilience and ending on a note of optimism, 2026 looks promising and could be a year of solid economic performance. In our baseline scenario, we expect most of the supportive factors at work in 2025 to continue to play a role in 2026.

Crypto market outlook for 2026

Year 2025 was volatile, as crypto often is.  Among positive catalysts were favourable regulatory changes in the U.S., rise of Digital Asset Treasuries (DAT), adoption of AI and tokenization of Real-World-Assets (RWA).