|

Forex Today: May kicks off with a mixed dollar, Ethereum breaks $3,000, Manufacturing PMIS eyed

Here is what you need to know on Monday, May 3:

The US dollar has kicked off May with minor gains against major but retreats against commodity currencies. The ISM Manufacturing PMI is eyed as the first Nonfarm Payrolls hint and EZ figures are also of interest, despite holidays in Europe. Ethereum is trading above $3,000 for the first time.

Last week's robust Gross Domestic Product, Personal Income, and Personal Spending figures from the US keep the greenback bid against the euro, pound, yen and also the Canadian dollar, as WTI Oil falls to around $63. Demand for the dollar comes despite a slide in Treasury yields, with returns on 10-year bonds falling to 1.63%. 

Robert Kaplan, President of the Dallas branch of the Federal Reserve, said that the bank should begin talking about tapering soon, a more hawkish view than Chair Jerome Powell's flat-out rejection of such a move. Concerns of bubbles have been floating, yet S&P 500 futures remain close to record highs. 

Can the Fed keep US rates in check?

Markit's final Manufacturing Purchasing Managers' Indexes for April are set to confirm upbeat prospects for the eurozone economies as the vaccination campaign picks up. 

A bank holiday in the UK does not prevent political speculation from weighing on sterling. UK PM Boris Johnson is under pressure for asking Conservative Party donors to fund a redecoration of his Downing 10 residence. 

The US ISM Manufacturing PMI for April is set to exceed April's high 64.7 scores, showing strong activity in the industrial sector. The publication serves as a hint toward Friday's all-important Nonfarm Payrolls report. 

US ISM Manufacturing PMI April Preview: Let the good times roll

Ethereum, the second cryptocurrency in terms of capitalization, surged above the $3,000 mark early on Monday after gaining over the weekend. Reuters reported that the European Investment Bank could launch a sale of bods on the Ether blockchain. Reports that Andreessen Horowitz, a renowned venture capital firm is considering a $1 billion crypto fund have added to the broader digital asset space. 

Ethereum price explodes to new all-time high of $3,000

Author

Yohay Elam

Yohay Elam

FXStreet

Yohay is in Forex since 2008 when he founded Forex Crunch, a blog crafted in his free time that turned into a fully-fledged currency website later sold to Finixio.

More from Yohay Elam
Share:

Editor's Picks

GBP/USD extends recovery, trades above 1.3200

GBP/USD holds on to modest gains above 1.3200 on Friday, building on gains seen in the previous day. Still, Cable struggles to build on its recovery as cautious market sentiment keeps investors focused on the US-Iran conflict and ongoing volatility in global technology stocks.

EUR/USD pops to daily highs near 1.1420

EUR/USD extends Thursday's recovery and climbs past the 1.1400 yardstick at the end of the week. The pair’s recovery comes as the US Dollar remains on the back foot, while investors continue to monitor developments in the Middle East and sentiment surrounding global technology stocks.

Gold advances to two-day highs, targets $4,100

Gold trades in a tight range above $4,000 per troy ounce on Friday, adding to the recent recovery. The precious metal, however, finds it difficult to attract fresh buyers as expectations for a hawkish Fed continue to strengthen.

Crypto Today: Bitcoin at $60,000, Ethereum at $1,500, and XRP at $1 face a make-or-break test

Bitcoin (BTC), Ethereum (ETH), and Ripple (XRP) are trading in the red on Friday after three consecutive days of losses, testing their respective make-or-break support levels.

Week ahead – NFP report to challenge Dollar strength and the hawkish Fed

Dollar strength dominates markets, as the hawkish Fed overshadows geopolitics and lower oil prices. NFP week could drive September Fed hike expectations and boost market volatility. The euro lacks fresh bullish catalysts, all eyes on the preliminary inflation report and the ECB Forum.

Regime change: Inside Kevin Warsh's first move to make the Fed unreadable on purpose

The rate did not move. That was the least interesting thing about Kevin Warsh's first meeting in charge of the Fed. The FOMC held its benchmark at 3.50%-3.75% for the fourth straight meeting, exactly as priced, and then the new chair used his first press conference to dismantle the machinery the market has leaned on for a decade.