Fed widely expected to increase interest rates – Lloyds Bank

Sandeep Kanihama FXStreet Contributor

The US Federal Reserve (Wed) will decide on policy today and is widely expected to increase interest rates for the third time this year, to 1.5%, according to analysts at Lloyds Bank.

Key Quotes

“It also seems likely to confirm its previously announced path for gradually running down the asset holdings built up as a result of QE. Of more interest will be potential signals for policy in 2018 and beyond. We anticipate the updated ‘dot plot’ will reaffirm policymakers’ expectations of three further rate increases next year.”

“The post-meeting press statement and Fed Chair Janet Yellen’s press conference will also provide some guidance on the 2018 outlook. Overall, we anticipate the Fed to reiterate that they expect economic conditions “will warrant gradual increases” in policy rates. Data wise, the key releases are CPI inflation (Wed) and retail sales (Thu), both of which are forecast to have been boosted by higher gasoline prices.”

Author

Sandeep Kanihama

FXStreet Contributor

Sandeep Kanihama is an FX Editor and Analyst with FXstreet having principally focus area on Asia and European markets with commodity, currency and equities coverage. He is stationed in the Indian capital city of Delhi.

EUR/USD meets initial support around 1.1800

EUR/USD remains on the back foot, although it has managed to reverse the initial strong pullback toward the 1.1800 region and regain some balance, hovering around the 1.1850 zone as the NA session draws to a close on Tuesday. Moving forward, market participants will now shift their attention to the release of the FOMC Minutes and US hard data on Wednesday.

GBP/USD bounces off lows, retargets 1.3550

After bottoming out just below the 1.3500 yardstick, GBP/USD now gathers some fresh bids and advances to the 1.3530-1.3540 band in the latter part of Tuesday’s session. Cable’s recovery comes as the Greenback surrenders part of its advance, although it keeps the bullish bias well in place for the day.

Gold remains offered below $5,000

Gold stays on the defensive on Tuesday, receding to the sub-$5,000 region per troy ounce on the back of the persistent move higher in the Greenback. The precious metal’s decline is also underpinned by the modest uptick in US Treasury yields across the spectrum.

Ethereum Price Forecast: BitMine extends ETH buying streak, says long-term outlook remains positive

Ethereum (ETH) treasury firm BitMine Immersion continued its weekly purchase of the top altcoin last week after acquiring 45,759 ETH.

UK jobs market weakens, bolstering rate cut hopes

In the UK, the latest jobs report made for difficult reading. Nonetheless, this represents yet another reminder for the Bank of England that they need to act swiftly given the collapse in inflation expected over the coming months.

Ripple slides to $1.45 as downside risks surge

Ripple edges lower at the time of writing on Tuesday, from the daily open of $1.48, as headwinds persist across the crypto market. A short-term support is emerging at $1.45, but a buildup of bearish positions could further weaken the derivatives market and prolong the correction.