Forex Today: FOMC officials are willing to make further rate cuts, USD firmer
Here’s what you need to know on Wednesday, December 31st:
The highlight of the day was the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) Minutes from the December meeting, released in the American afternoon. The Minutes showed that most participants are willing to deliver additional rate cuts if inflation declines over time. The document also showed that economic growth is projected to move modestly faster than at the October meeting.
US Dollar Index (DXY) trades in the 98.20 price zone on Tuesday, gaining 0.2% for the day as the market digests the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) minutes released earlier today
US Dollar Price Today
The table below shows the percentage change of US Dollar (USD) against listed major currencies today. US Dollar was the strongest against the British Pound.
| USD | EUR | GBP | JPY | CAD | AUD | NZD | CHF | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| USD | 0.16% | 0.25% | 0.19% | -0.03% | -0.10% | 0.14% | 0.22% | |
| EUR | -0.16% | 0.09% | 0.04% | -0.19% | -0.25% | -0.03% | 0.06% | |
| GBP | -0.25% | -0.09% | -0.04% | -0.28% | -0.35% | -0.13% | -0.05% | |
| JPY | -0.19% | -0.04% | 0.04% | -0.23% | -0.29% | -0.09% | 0.05% | |
| CAD | 0.03% | 0.19% | 0.28% | 0.23% | -0.05% | 0.19% | 0.24% | |
| AUD | 0.10% | 0.25% | 0.35% | 0.29% | 0.05% | 0.22% | 0.30% | |
| NZD | -0.14% | 0.03% | 0.13% | 0.09% | -0.19% | -0.22% | 0.08% | |
| CHF | -0.22% | -0.06% | 0.05% | -0.05% | -0.24% | -0.30% | -0.08% |
The heat map shows percentage changes of major currencies against each other. The base currency is picked from the left column, while the quote currency is picked from the top row. For example, if you pick the US Dollar from the left column and move along the horizontal line to the Japanese Yen, the percentage change displayed in the box will represent USD (base)/JPY (quote).
Gold: The Yellow Metal traded above $4,350 on Tuesday, trimming back a quarter of its weekly losses after bottoming at $4,300 on Monday. The XAU/USD pair declined sharply after hitting an all-time high of $4550 at the beginning of the week, due to profit-taking ahead of the New Year’s holiday.
EUR/USD: The pair traded near the 1.1750 region at the time of writing, amid current market calm as we approach the New Year holiday. The United States (US) Federal Reserve (Fed) is expected to cut rates between one and three times next year, helping keep the pair afloat ahead of year-end.
GBP/USD: traded around 1.3470 on Tuesday, consolidating after surging to a more than three-month high near 1.3530.
USD/JPY: traded near the 156.40 price zone as the USD recovers some ground following the FOMC Minutes release.
The AUD/USD and the USD/CAD are ending the day pretty much unchanged.
Most financial markets will remain closed on Wednesday due to the New Year’s holiday.
Gold FAQs
Gold has played a key role in human’s history as it has been widely used as a store of value and medium of exchange. Currently, apart from its shine and usage for jewelry, the precious metal is widely seen as a safe-haven asset, meaning that it is considered a good investment during turbulent times. Gold is also widely seen as a hedge against inflation and against depreciating currencies as it doesn’t rely on any specific issuer or government.
Central banks are the biggest Gold holders. In their aim to support their currencies in turbulent times, central banks tend to diversify their reserves and buy Gold to improve the perceived strength of the economy and the currency. High Gold reserves can be a source of trust for a country’s solvency. Central banks added 1,136 tonnes of Gold worth around $70 billion to their reserves in 2022, according to data from the World Gold Council. This is the highest yearly purchase since records began. Central banks from emerging economies such as China, India and Turkey are quickly increasing their Gold reserves.
Gold has an inverse correlation with the US Dollar and US Treasuries, which are both major reserve and safe-haven assets. When the Dollar depreciates, Gold tends to rise, enabling investors and central banks to diversify their assets in turbulent times. Gold is also inversely correlated with risk assets. A rally in the stock market tends to weaken Gold price, while sell-offs in riskier markets tend to favor the precious metal.
The price can move due to a wide range of factors. Geopolitical instability or fears of a deep recession can quickly make Gold price escalate due to its safe-haven status. As a yield-less asset, Gold tends to rise with lower interest rates, while higher cost of money usually weighs down on the yellow metal. Still, most moves depend on how the US Dollar (USD) behaves as the asset is priced in dollars (XAU/USD). A strong Dollar tends to keep the price of Gold controlled, whereas a weaker Dollar is likely to push Gold prices up.
Author
Agustin Wazne
FXStreet
Agustin Wazne joined FXStreet as a Junior News Editor, focusing on Commodities and covering Majors.
