Forex Today: Dollar returns, gold collapses

FXStreet Team FXStreet

Here is what you need to know on Wednesday, August 12:

Stocks rallied after US President Trump said he expects the US economy to grow at a record pace in the upcoming weeks, hinting he could cut taxes on capital gains and for middle-income families. Wall Street lost momentum ahead of the close, trimming intraday gains and closing in the red.

The dollar initially fell with mounting risk-appetite, but recovered it good shape in the US afternoon, recovering the ground lost against its high-yielding rivals and reaching fresh highs against most other major currencies.

Gold plunged, with spot down to $1,909.90 a troy ounce, shedding roughly $120.00 in the day. Crude oil prices followed equities’ behaviour, ending the day in the red amid dollar’s comeback. WTI settled around $41.60 a barrel.

UK employment data was mixed, as the ILO unemployment rate remained steady at 3.9% in the three months to June, better than the 4.2% expected. However, the Claimant Count Change for July disappointed by jumping to 94,400, far worse than the 10K projected.

US Treasury yields reached a one-month high amid optimism

Cryptocurrency Market News: Ethereum slides below $380 as the market starts to lose its positive sentiment

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FXStreet Team

FXStreet

Composed of a group of economic journalists and FX experts, the FXStreet content team produces and oversees all content published on FXStreet. It provides a purely journalistic approach to the Forex market.

EUR/USD remains sidelined around 1.1600

EUR/USD clings to its decent gains on Monday and continues to move in a consolidative mood around the 1.1600 region. Improved risk appetite following the US-Iran agreement to reopen the Strait of Hormuz continues to weigh on the US Dollar, lending support to the risk complex. Looking ahead, investors are likely to remain on the sidelines ahead of Wednesday's FOMC meeting.

GBP/USD retreats from tops, back to 1.3420

GBP/USD keeps its advance past the 1.3400 yardstick at the beginning of the week. In the meantime, Cable continues to draw support from improved market sentiment following reports that the US and Iran have reached a framework agreement aimed at ending the conflict and reopening the Strait of Hormuz.

Gold stays firm, still below $4,400

Gold builds on its recent gains on Monday, climbing well north of the $4,300 mark per troy ounce. The yellow metal benefits from renewed selling pressure on the Greenback as investors reassess the implications of the US-Iran agreement to end hostilities and reopen the Strait of Hormuz. Market participants now turn their attention to Wednesday's FOMC gathering.