|

Euro: Fed split supports EUR against US Dollar – Commerzbank

Commerzbank’s FX Research team, including Charlie Lay and colleagues, notes that the Dollar Index fell and EUR/USD climbed after the Federal Reserve left rates unchanged but revealed a significant internal split. The softer Dollar tone, combined with market pricing for a possible September hike and higher long-end US yields, helped EUR/USD extend gains, reflecting shifting expectations for US monetary policy.

Euro benefits from softer Dollar

"The main theme overnight was the Fed's surprisingly divided decision to leave interest rates unchanged. The FOMC kept the target range unchanged at 3.50-3.75% for the seventh consecutive meeting, but three officials dissented in favour of a 25bp hike, highlighting a growing concern over persistent inflation."

"Markets interpreted the decision as less hawkish than the dissents suggested, pushing the US 2Y Treasury yield and the USD lower. However, longer-dated yields rose sharply as investors judged the Fed's response insufficient to contain persistent inflation."

"The Fed funds futures are pricing in 63% probability of a 25bp hike in September. They have pared back the total hike for this year to 33bp compared to 42bp on Tuesday."

"For today, we get personal income, personal spending, PCE inflation, initial jobless claims, and the advance estimate for Q2 GDP. The market consensus is at 2% qoq annualized vs 2.1% in Q1. The Atlanta Fed GDPNow forecast is at 1.6% as of 27 July 2026."

"The Dollar Index fell 0.5% to 100.89 and EUR/USD gained 80 pips to 1.1470."

(This article was created with the help of an Artificial Intelligence tool and reviewed by an editor. Know more.)

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

GBP/USD retreats from weekly high vs firmer USD as focus shifts to BoE, US data

The GBP/USD pair struggles to capitalize on the previous day's strong move up to the weekly high and drifts lower during the Asian session on Thursday. Spot prices currently trade around mid-1.3300s, down over 0.10% for the day, and, for now, seem to have stalled the recovery move from a nearly four-week low, touched on Tuesday.

EUR/USD edges lower to near 1.1450 ahead of German/ EU GDP

EUR/USD trades with mild losses around 1.1450 in the early European hours on Thursday. The US Dollar recovers ground on renewed Mideast hostilities, despite a cautious Fed hold. Traders now brace for preliminary readings of the second-quarter Gross Domestic Product (GDP) from Germany, the Eurozone and the US. 


Gold extends intraday rejection slide from $4,100

Gold extends its intraday rejection slide from the $4,100 mark and moves further away from a one-week high, touched the previous day. The US Dollar regains positive traction following Wednesday's post-FOMC decline and is seen as a key factor weighing on the commodity. 

Mixed signals leave XRP and XLM at crossroads

Ripple and Stellar are trading at critical technical levels on Thursday. XRP has stabilized above the psychological $1.00 support, while XLM is testing support at $0.173. Traders should be cautious as mixed derivatives metrics keep the outlook uncertain for both altcoins. Derivatives data shows mixed sentiment among traders. CoinGlass’ long-to-short ratio for XRP reads 1.02 on Thursday.

Fed review: Reversing course (?)
At face value, the FOMC's 9-3 split decision hold was exactly in line with the expectations we laid out in our Fed preview - a divided hold, 22 July. We also named the three dissenters - Hammack, Logan and Kashkari - as the most likely hawks to support rapid tightening.
US Dollar mid-year outlook: Exceptional currency, exceptional risks?
The US Dollar enters the second half of 2026 in a markedly different position from a year ago. The King currency has recovered, reflecting persistent US inflation, changing expectations for Fed policy, geopolitical tensions and renewed demand for defensive assets.