|

Forex today: market sentiment repairing itself as the USD keeps pressure taut

  • Market recovery failed to spark upside moves for riskier currencies, and its all about the Greenback for now.
  • Thursday sees BoE rate call, and little else for the Asia and US sessions.

Broader markets experienced a recovery in sentiment after getting knocked back a couple of pegs by the ramp-up in the US' trade war rhetoric against China. President Trump is positively itching for an all-out dust-up against China, and China seems prepared to deliver, cautioning that more tariffs from the US will be met with retaliation, though the Chinese are definitely playing their cards closer to their chest than the Trump administration, opting to avoid making more announcements than necessary.

Risk pairs go flat for Wednesday

The Euro and the Sterling both moved sideways for Wednesday, with the EUR/USD and the GBP/USD closing the day close to where they started, with the Euro barely shedding 20 whole pips between its opening and closing prices for the day. Resolutions on Brexit continue to remain thin to the point of non-existence, though Prime Minister Theresa May did win yet another key vote over the Brexit "meaningful vote" in the parliament, while the European Central Bank's (ECB) Mario Draghi hit many of the same, well-worn notes in his speech on Wednesday. Thursday brings the Bank of England's next rate call, though markets have already priced in a lack of movement from the BoE on the matter of interest rates, and now its a matter of identifying any changes to the vernacular the central bank uses in its Monetary Policy Summary, due at 11:00 GMT.

Central banker gathering delivers plenty of rhetoric, little action

On the USD side, the Fed's Jerome Powell cautioned that changes to trade policy will cause the Fed to have to readjust their outlook for the US economy, a sentiment that was echoed by all of the other central bankers that were in attendance of the ECB's panel, which was titled 'Price and wage setting in advanced economies'. Very little new information came out of the panel, and the three-way speech event of the Fed's Powell, the ECB's Draghi, and the Reserve Bank of Australia's (RBA) Lowe brought little to the table for traders to chew on.

The Aussie also went flat for Wednesday, finishing almost exactly where it started despite some lift early on in the Asia session, while the Kiwi managed to slip further, tucking closer into the year's low near 0.6850, only pumping the brakes after New Zealand's GDP figures for the first quarter came in exactly as expected. The rest of the week is quite clear for both the AUD and the NZD, though whether this is a good thing is up to the markets. The Yen gave up a little ground against the Greenback as Treasury yields moved higher, buoying the USD and keeping markets subdued.

Author

Joshua Gibson

Joshua joins the FXStreet team as an Economics and Finance double major from Vancouver Island University with twelve years' experience as an independent trader focusing on technical analysis.

More from Joshua Gibson
Share:

Editor's Picks

EUR/USD looks weak below 1.1800

EUR/USD has slipped back under pressure, breaking through the 1.1800 support and drifting towards the weekly lows near 1.1770 ahead of the opening bell in Asia. The move reflects renewed strength in the US Dollar, with steady geopolitical tensions keeping its demand firm. Moving forward, the release of the German labour market report and flash inflation figures should keep European investors entertained on Friday.
 

GBP/USD threatens the 200-day SMA near 1.3440

GBP/USD rapidly leaves behind Wednesday’s strong advance, coming under heavy pressure and retesting the 1.3440 zone, where the critical 200-day SMA is located. Cable’s deep pullback follows the strong gains in the Greenback, while investors continue to pencil in a potential BoE rate cut in March.

Gold trims gains, slips back to around $5,170

Gold is now facing some downside pressure, hovering around the $5,170 region on Thursday. The yellow metal surrenders part of its earlier gains on the back of the resurgence of the buying interest in the Greenback. In the meantime, geopolitical tensions in the Middle East continue to limit the downside potential for now.

How AI, blockchain, stablecoins are shaping a new global economy – Circle CEO Jeremy Allaire

Artificial Intelligence (AI), blockchain technology and stablecoins are emerging as core pillars of a new global economic system, according to Circle’s CEO, Jeremy Allaire.

Changing the game: International implications of recent tariff developments

The Supreme Court ruling on International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) tariffs provides limited relief for the rest of the world, with weighted average tariff rates modestly lower.

Bitcoin steadies as traders eye US–Iran talks

Bitcoin (BTC) price is stabilizing around $68,000 at the time of writing on Thursday after a 6.2% relief rally the previous day amid a broader downward trend.