|

Forex Today: It’s all about the dollar and the Fed

What you need to know on Friday, January 28:

 The market was all about the dollar and the Fed after the US central bank pretty much confirmed a rate hike coming in March, fueling speculation of at least four hikes this year. The greenback got additional support from upbeat growth figures, as Q4 GDP came in at 6.9%, much better than the 5.5% expected. Meanwhile, unemployment claims in the week ended January 14 met expectations by printing at 260K.

The American currency extended its post-Fed rally to reach a multi-month high vs the shared currency, as EUR/USD plunged to 1.1130. GBP/USD fell to 1.3354, a one-month low, with both pairs settling nearby.

Commodity-linked currencies also fell, with AUD/USD currently trading at around 0.7030 and USD/CAD at 1.2730. Gold prices collapsed, with the bright metal falling below $1,800 a troy ounce. Crude oil prices advanced to fresh multi-year highs but lost momentum ahead of the daily close and finished the day little changed, with WTI settling at $86.80 a barrel.

Wall Street started the day with a firm footing, posting substantial intraday gains. However, it changed course in the final hours of trading, with indexes falling into the red. US Treasury yields retreated from Wednesday’s peak, with the yield on the 10-year note down to 1.78%. The greenback held on to gains despite the changing direction in equities and yields.

Dogecoin price to break weekly high and tag $0.16


Like this article? Help us with some feedback by answering this survey:

Author

Valeria Bednarik

Valeria Bednarik was born and lives in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Her passion for math and numbers pushed her into studying economics in her younger years.

More from Valeria Bednarik
Share:

Editor's Picks

GBP/USD hits multi-week tops around 1.3560

GBP/USD gathers fresh steam and advances to new three-month peaks near the 1.3560 zone on Friday. Cable’s sharp move higher comes after three daily drops in a row and follows the increasing selling pressure hurting the Greenback.

EUR/USD pops to fresh two-month highs, targets 1.1600

EUR/USD advances markedly, revisiting the upper 1.1500s for the first time since mid-June. The pair’s sharp uptick comes on the back of a strong retracement in the US Dollar amid BoJ intervention chatter and despite steady uncertainty in the Middle East.

Gold picks up pace, approaches $4,400

Gold rebounds toward the $4,400 mark per troy ounce on Friday, reversing the previous day’s pullback. The precious metal’s recovery comes as fresh and intense weakness keep weighing on the US Dollar, while traders keep assessing easing expectations of an imminent Fed interest rate hike and the situation from the Middle East.

Pi Network Price Forecast: PI extends consolidation as bulls eye $0.10
Pi Network (PI) price holds steady on Friday, maintaining a consolidating tone for three consecutive days. Mild retail strength in the PI token remains stable, with Open Interest above $9 million, while social buzz eases. PI token’s technical outlook is mixed, as bearish momentum wanes to neutral, with bulls eyeing the $0.1000 psychological level.
 Weekly focus: Some relief in US inflation concerns

Actual inflation data for July came out as expected with a 0.1% m/m increase in headline CPI and 0.2% excluding food and energy. Annual headline inflation remains too high at 3.4% and means that wage earners are experiencing stagnating spending power at best, and core inflation is a bit higher than the inflation target of two percent would suggest.

Why is Crude Oil priced for a reopening the ships haven't made?
Fourteen vessels crossed the Strait of Hormuz on Tuesday. Before the war, the count ran near 120 a day. In the sessions since the waterway was publicly declared open, Brent has drifted back to $87 and West Texas Intermediate (WTI) to $81, both a little lower again on Wednesday, with daily momentum on each unwound from the top of its range in late July to the low twenties now.