Here is what you need to know on Friday, September 23:
Markets seem to have cooled down early Friday following Thursday's wild fluctuations on Japan's intervention in the foreign exchange market, the Swiss National Bank (SNB) and the Bank of England's (BoE) rate hikes. The US Dollar Index moves up and down in a tight range above 111.00 and the US stock index futures trade flat in the early European morning. S&P Global will release the preliminary Manufacturing and Services PMI report for Germany, the eurozone, the UK and finally the US ahead of the weekend.
In a dramatic turn of events, Japan's top currency diplomat Masato Kanda announced on Thursday that they have intervened in the fx market. In a press conference following that action, Japanese Finance Minister Shunichi Suzuki said that they were concerned about excessive fx moves but refrained from commenting on the size of the intervention. Meanwhile, Kanda added that further forex action can be taken any day, anywhere, including on holidays. Japanese markets are closed on Friday in observance of the Autumnal Equinox Day holiday. USD/JPY dropped to a two-week low of 140.35 on this development but managed to stage a rebound in the late American session. Nevertheless, the pair ended up losing 200 pips on Thursday before going into a consolidation phase slightly above 142.00 early Friday.
Following its September policy meeting, the SNB decided to hike its policy rate by 75 bps to 0.5%. Commenting on the policy outlook, Chairman Thomas Jordan noted that negative rates will remain an important instrument and be used if needed. Jordan also added that the SNB is ready to "intervene to prevent excessive weakening or strengthening of franc." The CHF suffered heavy losses against its major rivals and USD/CHF climbed to its highest level since early September at 0.9850 before retreating below 0.9800 later in the day. At the time of press, the pair was moving sideways at around 0.9780.
The BoE raised its policy rate by 50 bps to 2.25% as expected on Thursday. The initial market reaction caused the British pound to lose interest as futures markets were pricing in a strong chance of a 75 bps increase. Five MPC members voted in favour of the 50 bps hike while MPC members Haskel, Mann and Ramsden voted to raise rates to 2.5%; MPC's Dhingra voted for 2%." Regarding the fiscal measures introduced by British Prime Minister Liz Truss, the BoE argued in its policy statement that the energy price guarantee may reduce the risk of persistent domestic price and wage pressures but acknowledged that risk remains material. Although GBP/USD managed to hold above 1.1300 for the majority of the day, it came under heavy bearish in the American session and declined toward 1.1200. As of writing, the pair was trading little changed on the day slightly below 1.1250.
EUR/USD failed to reclaim 0.9900 and erased all of its earlier gains to close the day flat slightly below 0.9850 on Thursday. The pair stays relatively quiet above 0.9800 early Friday.
Gold managed to capture some of the outflows out of major currencies as investors looked for a safer alternative during Thursday's crazy action. Nevertheless, with the benchmark 10-year US Treasury bond yield gaining more than 5% and rising above 3.7%, XAU/USD struggled to preserve its bullish momentum. The pair was last seen moving up and down above $1,670.
Bitcoin snapped a two-day losing streak and gained 5% on Thursday before going into a consolidation phase at around $19,500 early Friday. Ethereum rose nearly 7% on Thursday and is already up over 1% so far on the day, trading above $1,300.
Information on these pages contains forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. Markets and instruments profiled on this page are for informational purposes only and should not in any way come across as a recommendation to buy or sell in these assets. You should do your own thorough research before making any investment decisions. FXStreet does not in any way guarantee that this information is free from mistakes, errors, or material misstatements. It also does not guarantee that this information is of a timely nature. Investing in Open Markets involves a great deal of risk, including the loss of all or a portion of your investment, as well as emotional distress. All risks, losses and costs associated with investing, including total loss of principal, are your responsibility. The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of FXStreet nor its advertisers. The author will not be held responsible for information that is found at the end of links posted on this page.
If not otherwise explicitly mentioned in the body of the article, at the time of writing, the author has no position in any stock mentioned in this article and no business relationship with any company mentioned. The author has not received compensation for writing this article, other than from FXStreet.
FXStreet and the author do not provide personalized recommendations. The author makes no representations as to the accuracy, completeness, or suitability of this information. FXStreet and the author will not be liable for any errors, omissions or any losses, injuries or damages arising from this information and its display or use. Errors and omissions excepted.
The author and FXStreet are not registered investment advisors and nothing in this article is intended to be investment advice.
Recommended content
Editors’ Picks
EUR/USD trades with negative bias, holds above 1.0700 as traders await US PCE Price Index
EUR/USD edges lower during the Asian session on Friday and moves away from a two-week high, around the 1.0740 area touched the previous day. Spot prices trade around the 1.0725-1.0720 region and remain at the mercy of the US Dollar price dynamics ahead of the crucial US data.
USD/JPY jumps above 156.00 on BoJ's steady policy
USD/JPY has come under intense buying pressure, surging past 156.00 after the Bank of Japan kept the key rate unchanged but tweaked its policy statement. The BoJ maintained its fiscal year 2024 and 2025 core inflation forecasts, disappointing the Japanese Yen buyers.
Gold price flatlines as traders look to US PCE Price Index for some meaningful impetus
Gold price lacks any firm intraday direction and is influenced by a combination of diverging forces. The weaker US GDP print and a rise in US inflation benefit the metal amid subdued USD demand. Hawkish Fed expectations cap the upside as traders await the release of the US PCE Price Index.
Sei Price Prediction: SEI is in the zone of interest after a 10% leap
Sei price has been in recovery mode for almost ten days now, following a fall of almost 65% beginning in mid-March. While the SEI bulls continue to show strength, the uptrend could prove premature as massive bearish sentiment hovers above the altcoin’s price.
US economy: Slower growth with stronger inflation
The US Dollar strengthened, and stocks fell after statistical data from the US. The focus was on the preliminary estimate of GDP for the first quarter. Annualised quarterly growth came in at just 1.6%, down from the 2.5% and 3.4% previously forecast.