|

Forex Today: Dollar off the Yellen-induced highs, Dogecoin soars, Nonfarm Payrolls hints eyed

Here is what you need to know on Wednesday, May 5:

Markets stabilizing and the dollar is off its highs after a risk-off Tuesday, partially triggered by comments about rate hikes by US Treasury Secretary Yellen. ADP's jobs figures and the ISM Services PMI are eyed. Commodities are on the rise while cryptocurrencies are stable. 

Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said that interest rates could rise to battle inflation if needed, in comments that caused jitters in financial markets. The former Fed Chair later clarified that her comments were not meant to predict price rises nor hikes in borrowing costs and that she respects the bank's independence. Nevertheless, the dollar jumped and stocks fell on Tuesday. 

ADP's private-sector labor market figures are set to show an increase of 872,000 positions in April, an increase from 517,000 reported in March. While the correlation between the payroll firm's data and official figures is not always evident. 

US ADP Employment Change: Caution surfaces in manufacturing

The ISM Services Purchasing Managers' Index is set to show an acceleration from an already high level of 63.7 in March. The employment component is seen as another hint toward Friday's Nonfarm Payrolls.

US ISM Services PMI April Preview: Inflation readings remain key as recovery gains strength

Virus: India continues struggling with a severe wave of COVID-19, with projections pointing to an increase in deaths in the coming days. In Europe, vaccinations continue at full speed, with Germany reporting a drop in its incidence rate. US President Joe Biden announced a change in the distribution of vaccines, aiming to reach more people in remote places. 

EUR/USD is hovering around 1.20 ahead of final services PMIs and the publication of new economic forecasts by the EU. GBP/USD is hovering around 1.39 as tensions mount toward Thursday's Bank of England decision. 

NZD/USD stood on with a jump to above 0.7150 after New Zealand reported a surprising drop in the unemployment rate to 4.7% in the first quarter of the year. 

Copper has resumed its gains, alongside other commodities. According to Bloomberg, prices are up some 70% from the March 2020 trough.

Cryptocurrencies: Bitcoin is hovering above $54,000 and Etehreum below $3,300, as digital assets trade in a range. Dogecoin stands out with another rally, hitting $0.69 at the time of writing. The crypto that began as a joke has received high-profile mentions in recent days. 

See Dogecoin Price Prediction: DOGE at make-or-break point after new all-time highs

Author

Yohay Elam

Yohay Elam

FXStreet

Yohay is in Forex since 2008 when he founded Forex Crunch, a blog crafted in his free time that turned into a fully-fledged currency website later sold to Finixio.

More from Yohay Elam
Share:

Editor's Picks

AUD/USD jumps to 0.7050, fresh one-month top after hot Australian CPI

AUD/USD attracts buyers for the second straight day on Wednesday, rising to a fresh high since September 23 during the Asian session. A hot Australian CPI print reaffirmed bets for an imminent RBA rate hike in November and boosted the Australian Dollar. Meanwhile, the US Dollar pauses after a three-day rally to a near two-week high ahead of the crucial FOMC rate decision, lending additional support to the currency pair.

USD/JPY sticks to modest gains above 157.50 as traders await Fed, BoJ meetings

USD/JPY attracts buyers for the third straight day, recovering further from a one-month low ahead of Wednesday’s FOMC decision and the BoJ policy update on Friday. Meanwhile, expectations that the BoJ may hold off on aggressive rate hikes weigh on the Japanese Yen, and the US Dollar advances to a nearly two-week high, supporting the currency pair.

Gold comes under pressure, still above $4,000 ahead of FOMC

Gold now gives away part of its recent two-day rebound, although a breach below the key $4,000 mark per troy ounce remains elusive for now. Rising crude oil prices keep the precious metal under pressure ahead of the Fed’s interest rate decision later on Wednesday.

Bitcoin Price Forecast: BTC reclaims $81,000 as traders await Fed policy decision, Big Tech earnings
Bitcoin (BTC) reclaimed $81,000 on Wednesday, extending its recovery as investors wait for the Federal Reserve (Fed) monetary policy decision and upcoming Big Tech earnings. Institutional demand showed mild bullish signs, with spot Bitcoin Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs) recording a second consecutive day of inflows this week.
Federal Reserve set to hold interest rates steady despite persistent inflation

The US Fed announces its Interest Rate Decision on Wednesday, following another pivotal meeting that could provide key insights into the bank’s monetary policy outlook heading into the end of the year.



Anthropic pledged $270 billion to Amazon, Google, and Microsoft. Here's who actually gets paid
Anthropic owes Amazon, Google, and Microsoft at least $269.4 billion for computing power, even if it uses less. All three sell its models and handle its billing, and Amazon and Google own stakes and lend it money, so they get paid regardless of how the IPO goes. The Dario Amodei-led Anthropic filed its initial public offering (IPO) on Monday, seeking a listing on the Nasdaq under the ticker ANT.