|

Dollar to remain on a weaker footing if Fed pursues continued rate hikes – MUFG

US Dollar struggles to find demand. Economists at MUFG Bank expect the greenback to remain under pressure if the Federal Reserve hikes by 25 basis points next week.

A 25 bps hike next week is priced at about an 80% probability

“Essentially, we have had close to a $300 bn expansion of the Fed’s balance sheet in a week and that could see the Fed wanting to pursue continued rate hikes if conditions into the meeting next week allow. 

“A 25 bps hike next week is priced at about an 80% probability. We see that as reasonable at this juncture and if no further episodes of bank stress emerge that probability will drift higher into the meeting next week. In circumstances of that scenario, we would expect the Dollar to remain on a weaker footing given that a hike would in our view probably be the last.”

Author

FXStreet Insights Team

The FXStreet Insights Team is a group of journalists that handpicks selected market observations published by renowned experts. The content includes notes by commercial as well as additional insights by internal and external analysts.

More from FXStreet Insights Team
Share:

Editor's Picks

EUR/USD remains offered near 1.1640

EUR/USD’s selling pressure now picks up pace, trimming part of its post-US CPI gains and drifting back toward the 1.1640 area on turnaround Tuesday. Meanwhile, the US Dollar edges higher as markets continue to digest December’s US inflation data.

GBP/USD recedes to 1.3430, daily lows

GBP/USD now comes under extra downside pressure, drifting lower toward the area of daily troughs around 1.3430 on Tuesday. Cable’s pullback mirrors the soft tone in the risk complex, all in response to the better tone in the Greenback in the wake of December’s US CPI release.

Gold begins a new record run

Gold shrugs off early gains to fresh record highs above $4,630 per ounce on Tuesday, and returns to the vicinity of the $4,600 region amid further improvement in the US Dollar and declining US Treasury yields following the release of US CPI data.

Privacy coins set to take the lead in 2026 as regulation accelerates demand for on-chain anonymity

The segment of privacy coins outperforms the broader cryptocurrency market, with a roughly 290% rise in 2025. The rising user count on the cryptocurrency tumbler Tornado Cash amid regulatory pushes, such as the 2025 GENIUS Act, reflects a surge in demand for privacy.

More pressure on the Federal Reserve emerges

News broke on Sunday night that the Federal Reserve received grand jury subpoenas from the Department of Justice on Friday, escalating the Trump administration's pressure on the nation's central bank. 

XRP consolidates above $2.00 as on-chain and derivatives activity decline

Ripple (XRP) is trading sideways above support at $2.00 at the time of writing on Tuesday. Recovery has remained elusive despite steady inflows into spot Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs), which have cumulatively attracted $1.23 billion.