Fed's Waller: Markets are tightening and will do some of the work for us

Eren Sengezer FXStreet

Federal Reserve (Fed) Governor Christopher Waller noted on Wednesday that inflation data in the last three months has been "very good," per Reuters. "If current trends continue, inflation will basically be back to the target," Waller added.

Key quotes

"Long-term rates are market determined."

"It's astounding how resilient the job market has been given the tight Fed policy."

"The real side of the economy is doing well."

"The Fed can watch and see what happens on rates."

"Financial markets are tightening and that will do some of the work for us."

"Will see how higher long-term rates feed into the Fed policy."

"Hard to see a direct link from the Middle East violence to the Fed policy unless there is a broader conflict."

Market reaction

The US Dollar Index stays under modest bearish pressure following these comments and was last seen losing 0.1% on the day at 105.65.

Author

Eren Sengezer

FXStreet

As an economist at heart, Eren Sengezer specializes in the assessment of the short-term and long-term impacts of macroeconomic data, central bank policies and political developments on financial assets.

AUD/USD struggles near 0.7150 as Fed hike bets and Middle East risks underpin USD

AUD/USD kicks off the new week on a weak note and hovers near Friday's low, around mid-0.7100s, as the US Dollar holds up on rising Fed rate-hike bets, bolstered by the US CPI. Furthermore, escalating Middle East tensions and clashes in the Strait of Hormuz underpin the safe-haven USD. However, hawkish RBA expectations could help limit deeper losses for the Aussie.

USD/JPY holds steady near mid-153.00s as traders await Fed/BoJ rate decisions

USD/JPY consolidates near a seven-month low touched last Tuesday as traders move to the sidelines ahead of the FOMC decision on Wednesday and the BoJ policy update on Friday. Meanwhile, a more hawkish repricing of the BoJ's normalization path supports the Japanese Yen, while rising Fed rate-hike bets and geopolitical risks underpin the US Dollar, leading to the pair's subdued price action at the start of the new week.

Gold: Fed’s rate decision to drive the next move

Gold reflects a subdued performance at the start of the Federal Reserve’s monetary policy week at around $4,330. Fed’s interest rate expectations heavily influenced last week after the release of the hot United States Producer Price Index and Consumer Price Index reports for August.

Bitcoin consolidates, Ethereum faces hurdle, XRP nears key support

Bitcoin (BTC), Ethereum (ETH) and Ripple (XRP) start the week near crucial technical levels after a broadly bearish performance, correcting over 4%, 1.5% and 5% last week. BTC consolidates around $77,600, while ETH approaches key $2,550 resistance. Meanwhile, XRP trades near its key level around $1.354, making this support level crucial for its near-term outlook.

CFTC Report: Japanese Yen reversal leads a broader positioning reset

The week in one sentence: Yen positioning swung back into net longs in the week to September 8, leading to a 103.0K-contract improvement. Canadian Dollar shorts also fell sharply, while Oil buying accompanied another price rise. Euro, Sterling and Swiss Franc positioning weakened despite firmer currencies, leaving those moves unconfirmed by speculative flows.

Venezuela’s 65-billion-barrel Oil deal could reshape America’s inflation fight

The United States (US) has secured unprecedented access to part of Venezuela’s vast Oil reserves. The timing is particularly significant as the war with Iran is disrupting Middle Eastern supplies, keeping energy prices elevated and reviving concerns about inflation.