|

Forex Today: Markets now look at US inflation

Firmer-than-expected US GDP figures lent support to the US Dollar and further reinforced the already resilient stance of the economy, relegating to a secondary role the impassive ECB event, where C. Lagarde kept the summer rate cut in the pipeline.

Here is what you need to know on Friday, January 26:

The resurgence of buying interest in the greenback sparked a strong rebound in the USD Index (DXY), especially after flash Q4 GDP figures came in above estimates and despite declining US yields across the curve. Looking at Friday’s US docket, the salient event will be the release of inflation figures tracked by the PCE for the month of December, seconded by Personal Income, Personal Spending and Pending Home Sales.

EUR/USD sank to the proximity of the 2024 lows near 1.0820 on the back of usual dollar dynamics and the irresolute message from the ECB at its gathering. Moving forward, GfK will release its Consumer Confidence gauge for the month of. February, which will be the only scheduled release on the old continent, at the end of the week.

The intense bounce in the greenback kept GBP/USD’s price action depressed and forced it to break below the key 1.2700 support. On Friday, Gfk’s Consumer Confidence reading is due across the Channel.

USD/JPY partially faded Wednesday’s marked downtick and gathered decent upside traction well north of 147.00 the figure. The BoJ will publish its Minutes at the end of the week, while the final prints of the Coincident Index and the Leading Economic Index are also on tap.

Another inconclusive session saw AUD/USD maintain its trade around 0.6580, following another fruitless move beyond the 0.6600 barrier on Friday.

Geopolitics, shrinking US oil production, and the larger-than-expected weekly drop in US crude oil inventories, coupled with Chinese stimulus, lifted the barrel of WTI to a new two-month high past the $77.00 mark per barrel.

While Gold prices remained stuck in their current consolidative range, Silver prices rebounded further and clinched their third straight day of gains, this time flirting with the $23.00 mark per ounce.

Author

Pablo Piovano

Born and bred in Argentina, Pablo has been carrying on with his passion for FX markets and trading since his first college years.

More from Pablo Piovano
Share:

Editor's Picks

AUD/USD stabilizes near 0.7100 as the post-Fed USD rally pauses

AUD/USD consolidates the previous day's losses near 0.7100 in the Asian session on Thursday as the US Dollar pauses its hawkish Fed-inspired rally to its highest level since late July. However, RBA rate-hike bets and hopes for US-Iran diplomatic efforts lift risk sentiment and support the risk-sensitive Australian Dollar and the major.

USD/JPY reverses a dip below 156.00 as focus shifts to BoJ

USD/JPY is reversing a brief dip below 156.00 in the Asian session on Thursday, looking to snap a three-day winning streak to a nearly two-week top set the previous day. The US Dollar pauses following the post-Fed rally to seven-week highs, while a more hawkish repricing of the BoJ's policy normalization path supports the Japanese Yen. This keeps the pair's upside limited, with the focus now shifting to the BoJ policy decision due on Friday.

Gold bounces but not out of the woods yet

Gold is facing fresh sellers above $4,300 early Thursday, stalling its recovery from six-week lows of $4,235 reached soon after hawkish US Federal Reserve monetary policy announcements.

Bitcoin, crypto market see muted activity following FOMC rate hike

Bitcoin traded above $76,000 on Wednesday as the Federal Reserve raised its benchmark interest rate by 25 basis points, bringing the federal funds target range to 3.75%-4.00%. The unanimous 12-0 decision marked the Fed’s first rate hike since July 2023.

The Fed rate hike: What happens now?
The dust has settled on tonight’s Fed meeting and the market reaction is clear: the Fed’s signal that there could be a series of rate hikes has spooked financial markets. Bonds sold off at the short end of the Treasury curve and US stocks also fell, led by the Dow Jones Industrial Average, which slipped more than 1% on Wednesday night.
How Japan became the World's Banker and why that era may be ending

Japan's ultra-low interest rates helped finance trillions of dollars in global investments for more than a decade, making the Japanese Yen one of the world’s cheapest sources of funding. With the Bank of Japan expected to tighten policy again this week, that advantage may be entering a new phase. While most major economies raised interest rates, Japan remained the world's outlier.