Forex Today: Mixed action in markets ahead of US data, Fedspeak
Here is what you need to know on Tuesday, December 3:
Major currency pairs fluctuate in tight ranges early Tuesday as investors gear up for this week's key events. Later in the day, the US economic calendar will feature JOLTS Job Openings data for October and RealClearMarkets/TIPP Economic Optimism Index for December. During the American trading hours, several Federal Reserve (Fed) policymakers are scheduled to deliver speeches.
US Dollar PRICE This week
The table below shows the percentage change of US Dollar (USD) against listed major currencies this week. US Dollar was the strongest against the Euro.
| USD | EUR | GBP | JPY | CAD | AUD | NZD | CHF | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| USD | 0.85% | 0.68% | 0.20% | 0.39% | 0.62% | 0.71% | 0.83% | |
| EUR | -0.85% | -0.20% | -0.63% | -0.44% | -0.13% | -0.12% | 0.01% | |
| GBP | -0.68% | 0.20% | -0.47% | -0.24% | 0.08% | 0.08% | 0.18% | |
| JPY | -0.20% | 0.63% | 0.47% | 0.19% | 0.46% | 0.54% | 0.57% | |
| CAD | -0.39% | 0.44% | 0.24% | -0.19% | 0.39% | 0.32% | 0.42% | |
| AUD | -0.62% | 0.13% | -0.08% | -0.46% | -0.39% | -0.01% | 0.10% | |
| NZD | -0.71% | 0.12% | -0.08% | -0.54% | -0.32% | 0.00% | 0.13% | |
| CHF | -0.83% | -0.01% | -0.18% | -0.57% | -0.42% | -0.10% | -0.13% |
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).
The US Dollar (USD) benefited from the cautious market mood at the start of the week, with the USD Index closing in positive territory on Monday. In the European morning on Tuesday, the index stays relatively quiet at around 106.50, while US stock index futures trade little changed.
EUR/USD dropped below 1.0500 on Monday and lost more than 0.7% on the day. Political jitters in France seems to be weighing on the Euro. French Finance Minister Antoine Armand said on Tuesday that the “country is at a turning point," adding that they have a responsibility not to plunge the country "into uncertainty.”
"The French government is all but certain to collapse later this week after far-right and left-wing parties submitted no-confidence motions on Monday against Prime Minister Michel Barnier," Reuters reported on Monday.
GBP/USD fell toward 1.2600 and snapped a three-day winning streak on Monday. The pair stays in a consolidation phase at around 1.2650 in the European morning on Tuesday.
USD/JPY stages a rebound and trades slightly above 150.00 early Tuesday after closing the first trading day of the week virtually unchanged.
AUD/USD holds steady above 0.6450 following Monday's decline. China has reportedly announced that it lifted all restrictions on exports from Australian meat works.
Gold started the week on the back foot and dropped toward $2,620 before erasing a large portion of its daily losses in the American session. XAU/USD was last seen trading modestly higher on the day at around $2,650.
Employment FAQs
Labor market conditions are a key element to assess the health of an economy and thus a key driver for currency valuation. High employment, or low unemployment, has positive implications for consumer spending and thus economic growth, boosting the value of the local currency. Moreover, a very tight labor market – a situation in which there is a shortage of workers to fill open positions – can also have implications on inflation levels and thus monetary policy as low labor supply and high demand leads to higher wages.
The pace at which salaries are growing in an economy is key for policymakers. High wage growth means that households have more money to spend, usually leading to price increases in consumer goods. In contrast to more volatile sources of inflation such as energy prices, wage growth is seen as a key component of underlying and persisting inflation as salary increases are unlikely to be undone. Central banks around the world pay close attention to wage growth data when deciding on monetary policy.
The weight that each central bank assigns to labor market conditions depends on its objectives. Some central banks explicitly have mandates related to the labor market beyond controlling inflation levels. The US Federal Reserve (Fed), for example, has the dual mandate of promoting maximum employment and stable prices. Meanwhile, the European Central Bank’s (ECB) sole mandate is to keep inflation under control. Still, and despite whatever mandates they have, labor market conditions are an important factor for policymakers given its significance as a gauge of the health of the economy and their direct relationship to inflation.
Author
Eren Sengezer
FXStreet
As an economist at heart, Eren Sengezer specializes in the assessment of the short-term and long-term impacts of macroeconomic data, central bank policies and political developments on financial assets.
