|

Forex Today: Optimism dominates a dull start to the week

What you need to know on Tuesday, February 16:

Optimism maintained the greenback under pressure against all major rivals but the JPY. The upbeat sentiment was backed by hopes that US Congress will speed up a stimulus bill now that they acquitted former US President Donald Trump on his second impeachment.

China and the US markets were closed amid local holidays, but US futures rose to fresh record-highs. Chinese holidays will continue for most of this week.

Major pairs saw little action with the EUR/USD pair unchanged for a fourth consecutive day. GBP/USD continued to grind higher and reclaimed the 1.3900 threshold, amid the broad dollar’s weakness and the absence of UK macroeconomic news that could hit the pound. Commodity-linked currencies were also up against their American rival.

Coronavirus: Optimism overshadowed concerns related to new strains, as those countries leading vaccine immunization report encouraging results. In Israel, the number of new cases, severe illness and deaths keeps falling among those who received two Pfizer’s shots. Also, the UK has reached 15 million people vaccinated threshold, reporting under 10,000 new daily cases for the first time since October last year.

Cryptocurrencies Price Prediction: Ripple, Polkadot & Elrond – American Wrap 15 February

US Stocks Weekly Forecast: Records are there to be broken

Author

FXStreet Team

Composed of a group of economic journalists and FX experts, the FXStreet content team produces and oversees all content published on FXStreet. It provides a purely journalistic approach to the Forex market.

More from FXStreet Team
Share:

Editor's Picks

GBP/USD bounces off one-week low amid Iran diplomacy hopes, ahead of UK CPI

The GBP/USD pair edges higher during the Asian session, snapping a four-day losing streak to the 1.3360 area, or a one-week low, touched the previous day. Spot prices, however, lack follow-through buying and trade below the 1.3400 mark, warranting caution before confirming that the recent pullback from an over two-month high has run its course.

EUR/USD holds gains above 1.1400 on hawkish ECB expectations despite US-Iran tensions

The EUR/USD pair trades with mild gains around 1.1405 during the early Asian session on Wednesday. A hawkish tone from the European Central Bank provides some support to the Euro against the US Dollar. Traders await the upcoming ECB interest rate decision on Thursday. 

Gold: Strong recovery might face roadblock as oil price extends gains

Gold price extends its winning streak for the third trading day on Wednesday, trading 1.5% higher to near $4,140 during the Asian session. The precious metal recovered strongly in the past few trading days from its three-week low of $3,959.80 as traders scaled back Federal Reserve’s interest rate hike expectations for the monetary policy meeting next week.

Bitcoin holds firm as ONDO and GRAM lead rally

The broader cryptocurrency market is witnessing an easing of bearish momentum, with Bitcoin holding above $66,000 on Wednesday. Altcoins including Ondo and Gram, formerly known as Toncoin, are leading gains over the last 24 hours, driven by new features. Bitcoin holds above $66,000 on Wednesday, following a 2% surge the previous day.

UK CPI set to show receding inflation in June as GBP/USD fails at May highs

The UK Office for National Statistics will release the June Consumer Price Index figures on Wednesday at 06:00 GMT, a print that will matter for markets. Consensus expectations point to inflation pressures still above the Bank of England’s target, although losing further momentum.

US Dollar mid-year outlook: Exceptional currency, exceptional risks?
The US Dollar enters the second half of 2026 in a markedly different position from a year ago. The King currency has recovered, reflecting persistent US inflation, changing expectations for Fed policy, geopolitical tensions and renewed demand for defensive assets.