Forex Today: New Year’s Eve means more choppy trading ahead

Valeria Bednarik FXStreet

What you need to know on Friday, December 31:

Major pairs held within familiar levels on Thursday, trading choppily amid thinned market conditions. Most financial markets will be closed on Friday, amid the New Year’s Eve holiday. Wall Street will operate normally, while the bonds markets will close earlier. Market’s are likely to remain choppy.

The macroeconomic calendar will remain empty through all Friday, although China will publish the December official PMIs.

Coronavirus contagions continue escalating to record cases. Italy reported 126K new contagions, Spain 161K.

The EUR/USD pair is trading a few pips above the 1.1300 level, while GBP/USD managed to reach a fresh monthly high of 1.3521. The Canadian dollar was the strongest, as USD/CAD fell to the 1.2740 price zone. The AUD/USD pair, on the other hand, met sellers for a second consecutive day around 0.7275. USD/JPY maintained a positive tone, trading at around 115.10.

Crude oil consolidate gains, while gold prices ticked higher, with both holding within familiar levels.

Wall Street edged higher, with the S&P reaching record highs. US Treasury yields held near Thursday’s high, with the yield on the 10-year note currently at 1.52%.

Top 3 Price Prediction Bitcoin, Ethereum, Ripple: Time to squeeze out the last gains for 2021

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

Author

Valeria Bednarik

FXStreet

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.

AUD/USD eyes 100-SMA hurdle near 0.7035 as hawkish RBA counters firmer USD

AUD/USD regains positive traction on Tuesday and climbs to 0.7030 during the Asian session, reversing the previous day's corrective slide from a one-month high as hawkish RBA rate expectations continue to support the Aussie. Spot prices, however, remain below the 100-day SMA pivotal resistance amid a firmer US Dollar as traders brace for Australia’s September CPI report on Wednesday ahead of the Fed rate decision.

USD/JPY sticks to modest gains above 157.50 as traders await Fed, BoJ meetings

USD/JPY attracts buyers for the third straight day, recovering further from a one-month low ahead of Wednesday’s FOMC decision and the BoJ policy update on Friday. Meanwhile, expectations that the BoJ may hold off on aggressive rate hikes weigh on the Japanese Yen, and the US Dollar advances to a nearly two-week high, supporting the currency pair.

Gold holds above $4,000 as traders brace for Fed interest rate decision

Gold edges higher during American trading hours on Tuesday after trading in negative territory earlier in the day. A slight decline in Oil prices offers some relief, although a firmer USD limits the upside as traders await the Fed’s monetary policy announcement on Wednesday.

Crypto Today: Bitcoin, Ethereum and XRP on edge as sell-side pressure intensifies

Cryptocurrency prices are broadly correcting on Tuesday, led by Bitcoin (BTC) edging lower below the pivotal $80,000 level. Ethereum (ETH) mirrors Bitcoin’s neutral-to-bearish outlook, while Ripple (XRP) hovers around $1.30.

Experts agree: Fed policy outlook and geopolitical tensions keep US Dollar bid

The US Dollar Index rallies 0.6% in three days and hits fresh two-week highs above 102.00. Investors return to the US Dollar as markets brace for a hawkish hold by the Fed on Wednesday. Waning hopes of any immediate US-Iran peace deal have provided additional support to the safe-haven USD.

What November 3 means for the Fed's rate path and the US Dollar

The USD faces a decisive period ahead of the November 3 midterm elections. While markets anticipate another interest rate increase from the Fed in December, the battle for control of Congress could reshape fiscal policy expectations and, indirectly, the path of US monetary policy in 2027.