Forex Today: US Dollar loses bullish momentum ahead of key data releases


Here is what you need to know on Thursday, February 15:

The US Dollar (USD) failed to build on Tuesday gains and the USD Index (DXY) closed in negative territory on Wednesday as the risk mood improved in the American session. Eurostat will release Trade Balance data for December in the European session. Later in the day, January Retail Sales and Industrial Production data will be featured in the US economic docket, alongside the weekly Initial Jobless Claims. 

Wall Street's main indexes registered gains on Wednesday following Tuesday's sharp decline that was triggered by the hot US inflation numbers. Additionally, the benchmark 10-year US Treasury bond yield retreated from the multi-week high it set at 4.3% and lost more than 1% on the day. Early Thursday, US stock index futures trade modestly higher and the 10-year US yield continues to edge lower toward 4.2%, making it difficult for the USD to gather strength.

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 weakest against the Australian Dollar.

  USD EUR GBP CAD AUD JPY NZD CHF
USD   0.60% 0.60% 0.63% 0.51% 0.64% 1.00% 1.11%
EUR -0.60%   0.00% 0.03% -0.09% 0.04% 0.41% 0.51%
GBP -0.61% 0.00%   0.03% -0.08% 0.04% 0.39% 0.51%
CAD -0.63% -0.03% -0.03%   -0.12% 0.02% 0.38% 0.48%
AUD -0.51% 0.09% 0.09% 0.12%   0.13% 0.49% 0.60%
JPY -0.64% -0.04% 0.00% 0.00% -0.12%   0.37% 0.48%
NZD -1.01% -0.41% -0.41% -0.38% -0.50% -0.36%   0.11%
CHF -1.11% -0.50% -0.46% -0.48% -0.60% -0.46% -0.10%  

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 Euro from the left column and move along the horizontal line to the Japanese Yen, the percentage change displayed in the box will represent EUR (base)/JPY (quote).

 

The UK's Office for National Statistics reported on Thursday that the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) contracted at an annual rate of 0.2% in the fourth quarter. This reading followed the 0.3% expansion recorded in the previous quarter and came in weaker than the market expectation for a 0.1% growth. Other data from the UK showed that the Manufacturing Production and Industrial Production increased by 0.8% and 0.6%, respectively, on a monthly basis in December. GBP/USD came under modest bearish pressure following the mixed data and was last seen trading at around 1.2550.

After closing in negative territory for two consecutive days, EUR/USD staged a correction and registered small gains on Wednesday. Early Thursday, the pair fluctuates in a narrow channel below 1.0750. During the European trading hours, European Central Bank President Christine Lagarde will testify before the Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs of the European Parliament.

During the Asian trading hours, the Australian Bureau of Statistics announced that the Unemployment Rate rose to 4.1% in January from 3.9%. Employment Change was +0.5K in that period, compared to the market expectation for an increase of 30K. AUD/USD showed no immediate reaction to these figures and was last seen moving sideways slightly below 0.6500.

USD/JPY posted small losses on Wednesday and continued to push lower toward 150.00 in the Asian session on Thursday. The data from Japan showed that the GDP contracted by 0.1% on a quarterly basis in Q4.

After breaking below $2,000 on Tuesday, Gold struggled to stage a rebound but retreating US yields helped the precious metal find a foothold on Wednesday. Early Thursday, XAU/USD stays in a consolidation phase slightly above $1,990.

Share: Feed news

Information on these pages contains forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. Markets and instruments profiled on this page are for informational purposes only and should not in any way come across as a recommendation to buy or sell in these assets. You should do your own thorough research before making any investment decisions. FXStreet does not in any way guarantee that this information is free from mistakes, errors, or material misstatements. It also does not guarantee that this information is of a timely nature. Investing in Open Markets involves a great deal of risk, including the loss of all or a portion of your investment, as well as emotional distress. All risks, losses and costs associated with investing, including total loss of principal, are your responsibility. The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of FXStreet nor its advertisers. The author will not be held responsible for information that is found at the end of links posted on this page.

If not otherwise explicitly mentioned in the body of the article, at the time of writing, the author has no position in any stock mentioned in this article and no business relationship with any company mentioned. The author has not received compensation for writing this article, other than from FXStreet.

FXStreet and the author do not provide personalized recommendations. The author makes no representations as to the accuracy, completeness, or suitability of this information. FXStreet and the author will not be liable for any errors, omissions or any losses, injuries or damages arising from this information and its display or use. Errors and omissions excepted.

The author and FXStreet are not registered investment advisors and nothing in this article is intended to be investment advice.

Recommended content


Recommended content

Editors’ Picks

EUR/USD retreats toward 1.0850 on modest USD recovery

EUR/USD retreats toward 1.0850 on modest USD recovery

EUR/USD stays under modest bearish pressure and trades in negative territory at around 1.0850 after closing modestly lower on Thursday. In the absence of macroeconomic data releases, investors will continue to pay close attention to comments from Federal Reserve officials.

EUR/USD News

GBP/USD holds above 1.2650 following earlier decline

GBP/USD holds above 1.2650 following earlier decline

GBP/USD edges higher after falling to a daily low below 1.2650 in the European session on Friday. The US Dollar holds its ground following the selloff seen after April inflation data and makes it difficult for the pair to extend its rebound. Fed policymakers are scheduled to speak later in the day.

GBP/USD News

Gold climbs to multi-week highs above $2,400

Gold climbs to multi-week highs above $2,400

Gold gathered bullish momentum and touched its highest level in nearly a month above $2,400. Although the benchmark 10-year US yield holds steady at around 4.4%, the cautious market stance supports XAU/USD heading into the weekend.

Gold News

Chainlink social dominance hits six-month peak as LINK extends gains

Chainlink social dominance hits six-month peak as LINK extends gains

Chainlink (LINK) social dominance increased sharply on Friday, exceeding levels seen in the past six months, along with the token’s price rally that started on Wednesday. 

Read more

Week ahead: Flash PMIs, UK and Japan CPIs in focus – RBNZ to hold rates

Week ahead: Flash PMIs, UK and Japan CPIs in focus – RBNZ to hold rates

After cool US CPI, attention shifts to UK and Japanese inflation. Flash PMIs will be watched too amid signs of a rebound in Europe. Fed to stay in the spotlight as plethora of speakers, minutes on tap.

Read more

Forex MAJORS

Cryptocurrencies

Signatures