|

Forex Today: Trump's gesture to China improves the mood ahead of the critical ECB decision

Here is what you need to know on Thursday, September 12:

  • The market mood has improved after US President Donald Trump tweeted that he is delaying the new tariffs on China from October 1 to October 15 as a gesture to China that celebrates its national day on October 1. There are reports of Chinese buying of further US agricultural goods. The detente has pushed commodity currencies higher and the yen low, with USD/JPY topping 108. US yields continue their upward drift. 
  • Tension mounts ahead of the European Central Bank's critical decision. The ECB is set to cut rates by 10 or 20 basis points, tweak its forward guidance, and perhaps introduce a new bond-buying scheme worth 30 to 40 billion euros. The deteriorating economic situation in Germany and elsewhere in the euro-zone has been prompting this action. The high level of uncertainty regarding the measures that President Mario Draghi will announce in his penultimate decision may trigger high volatility in EUR/USD.
  • Brexit: Parliament remains suspended despite the Scottish High Court's decision that the government's decision to prorogue the House of Commons is unlawful. The UK Supreme Court will hear appeals to all cases on September 17. PRime minister Boris Johnson has reiterated his stance about leaving the EU by October 31.
  • US inflation figures for August are of interest ahead of the Federal Reserve's critical decision next week. A moderate acceleration from 2.2% to 2.3% is projected for the Core Consumer Price Index.
  • Oil prices have stabilized after falling on Wednesday, as Trump hinted he might remove some of the sanctions against Iran.  OPEC and non-OPEC members meet today to discuss the next steps.
  • Cryptocurrencies are trading marginally lower, with Bitcoin around $10,000.

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

EUR/USD climbs to daily highs near 1.1820

EUR/USD now picks up pace and advances to the area of daily peaks north of the 1.1800 barrier at the end of the week. The pair’s decent move higher comes against the backdrop of a generalised lack of direction in the FX galaxy and the mild offered stance in the US Dollar.

GBP/USD trims losses, retests 1.3460

After briefly challenging its key 200-day SMA near 1.3440, GBP/USD now manages to regain some balance and revisit the 1.3460 zone on Friday. Cable’s pullback comes as the selling pressure on the Greenback gathers traction, reigniting some recovery in the risk-linked space.

Gold flirts with four-week highs past $5,200

Gold extends its rebound, climbing for a third consecutive session and pushing back above the $5,200 mark per troy ounce on Friday. The move higher continues to draw support from lingering geopolitical tensions and the ongoing uncertainty surrounding US trade policy, both of which are keeping safe-haven demand firmly in play.

Bitcoin, Ethereum and Ripple consolidate with short-term cautious bullish bias

Bitcoin, Ethereum and Ripple are consolidating near key technical areas on Friday, showing mild signs of stabilization after recent volatility. BTC holds above $67,000 despite mild losses so far this week, while ETH hovers around $2,000 after a rejection near its upper consolidation boundary. 

Changing the game: International implications of recent tariff developments

The Supreme Court ruling on International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) tariffs provides limited relief for the rest of the world, with weighted average tariff rates modestly lower.

Starknet unveils strkBTC, shielded Bitcoin transactions on Ethereum Layer 2

Starknet, the Ethereum Layer 2 network developed by StarkWare, today announced strkBTC, a wrapped Bitcoin asset that introduces optional shielding while preserving full DeFi composability.