Forex Today: Optimism dominates a dull start to the week

FXStreet Team FXStreet

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.

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FXStreet Team

FXStreet

EUR/USD flirts with daily highs, retargets 1.1900

EUR/USD regains upside traction, returning to the 1.1880 zone and refocusing its attention to the key 1.1900 barrier. The pair’s slight gains comes against the backdrop of a humble decline in the US Dollar as investors continue to assess the latest US CPI readings and the potential Fed’s rate path.

GBP/USD remains well bid around 1.3650

GBP/USD maintains its upside momentum in place, hovering around daily highs near 1.3650 and setting aside part of the recent three-day drop. Cable’s improved sentiment comes on the back of the Greenback’s irresolute price action, while recent hawkish comments from the BoE’s Pill also collaborate with the uptick.

Gold clings to gains just above $5,000/oz

Gold is reclaiming part of the ground lost on Wednesday’s marked decline, as bargain-hunters keep piling up and lifting prices past the key $5,000 per troy ounce. The precious metal’s move higher is also underpinned by the slight pullback in the US Dollar and declining US Treasury yields across the curve.

Crypto Today: Bitcoin, Ethereum, XRP in choppy price action, weighed down by falling institutional interest

Bitcoin's upside remains largely constrained amid weak technicals and declining institutional interest. Ethereum trades sideways above $1,900 support with the upside capped below $2,000 amid ETF outflows.

Week ahead – Data blitz, Fed Minutes and RBNZ decision in the spotlight

US GDP and PCE inflation are main highlights, plus the Fed minutes. UK and Japan have busy calendars too with focus on CPI. Flash PMIs for February will also be doing the rounds. RBNZ meets, is unlikely to follow RBA’s hawkish path.

Ripple Price Forecast: XRP potential bottom could be in sight

Ripple edges up above the intraday low of $1.35 at the time of writing on Friday amid mixed price actions across the crypto market. The remittance token failed to hold support at $1.40 the previous day, reflecting risk-off sentiment amid a decline in retail and institutional sentiment.