Forex Today: US GDP data to drive market action ahead of holidays
Here is what you need to know on Tuesday, December 23:
The US Dollar (USD) struggles to find demand after suffering large losses against its major rivals on Monday. Investors await the third-quarter Gross Domestic Product (GDP) data from the US before trading volumes thin out heading into the Christmas Holiday.
Gold benefited from escalating geopolitical tensions following news of Israel planning to attack Iran again. XAU/USD gathered bullish momentum and gained more than 2% on Monday before stretching higher and setting a new record-high slightly below $4,500 in the Asian trading hours on Tuesday. At the time of press, Gold was trading near $4,470, rising about 0.7% on the day.
Similarly, Silver rose nearly 3% on Monday and touched a fresh all-time-high near $70 early Tuesday before retreating to the $69.50 area. XAG/USD is up 23% in December.
The USD Index turned south in the American session on Monday and lost about 0.5% on the day, erasing the previous week's recovery gains in the process. The index stays on the back foot and edges lower toward 98.00 in the European morning on Tuesday. Later in the session, the US Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) will publish the GDP data for the third quarter. Markets expect the US economy to expand at an annual rate of 3.2% in Q3, following the 3.8% growth recorded in Q2. October Durable Goods Orders, November Industrial Production and December Consumer Confidence data will also be featured in the US economic calendar. On Wednesday, the Department of Labor will publish the weekly Initial Jobless Claims data. Meanwhile, US stock index futures trade marginally lower on the day after Wall Street's main indexes registered small gains on Monday.
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 New Zealand Dollar.
| USD | EUR | GBP | JPY | CAD | AUD | NZD | CHF | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| USD | -0.45% | -0.74% | -1.00% | -0.39% | -0.88% | -1.23% | -0.51% | |
| EUR | 0.45% | -0.28% | -0.59% | 0.06% | -0.43% | -0.78% | -0.06% | |
| GBP | 0.74% | 0.28% | -0.21% | 0.34% | -0.15% | -0.51% | 0.22% | |
| JPY | 1.00% | 0.59% | 0.21% | 0.64% | 0.17% | -0.18% | 0.40% | |
| CAD | 0.39% | -0.06% | -0.34% | -0.64% | -0.40% | -0.81% | -0.10% | |
| AUD | 0.88% | 0.43% | 0.15% | -0.17% | 0.40% | -0.06% | 0.38% | |
| NZD | 1.23% | 0.78% | 0.51% | 0.18% | 0.81% | 0.06% | 0.73% | |
| CHF | 0.51% | 0.06% | -0.22% | -0.40% | 0.10% | -0.38% | -0.73% |
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 US Dollar from the left column and move along the horizontal line to the Japanese Yen, the percentage change displayed in the box will represent USD (base)/JPY (quote).
EUR/USD turned north on renewed USD weakness and snapped a four-day losing streak on Monday. The pair stays in a consolidation phase above 1.1750 in the European morning on Tuesday.
GBP/USD extended its rally early Tuesday after rising more than 0.6% on Monday and touched its highest level since early October near 1.3500. The pair was last seen trading near 1.3480, rising 0.15% on the day.
USD/JPY stays under bearish pressure and declines toward 156.00 in the European morning on Tuesday. Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said that national debt level is still high, adding that it may be possible to cut the amount of new bond issuance for fiscal year 2026 budget.
Gold FAQs
Gold has played a key role in human’s history as it has been widely used as a store of value and medium of exchange. Currently, apart from its shine and usage for jewelry, the precious metal is widely seen as a safe-haven asset, meaning that it is considered a good investment during turbulent times. Gold is also widely seen as a hedge against inflation and against depreciating currencies as it doesn’t rely on any specific issuer or government.
Central banks are the biggest Gold holders. In their aim to support their currencies in turbulent times, central banks tend to diversify their reserves and buy Gold to improve the perceived strength of the economy and the currency. High Gold reserves can be a source of trust for a country’s solvency. Central banks added 1,136 tonnes of Gold worth around $70 billion to their reserves in 2022, according to data from the World Gold Council. This is the highest yearly purchase since records began. Central banks from emerging economies such as China, India and Turkey are quickly increasing their Gold reserves.
Gold has an inverse correlation with the US Dollar and US Treasuries, which are both major reserve and safe-haven assets. When the Dollar depreciates, Gold tends to rise, enabling investors and central banks to diversify their assets in turbulent times. Gold is also inversely correlated with risk assets. A rally in the stock market tends to weaken Gold price, while sell-offs in riskier markets tend to favor the precious metal.
The price can move due to a wide range of factors. Geopolitical instability or fears of a deep recession can quickly make Gold price escalate due to its safe-haven status. As a yield-less asset, Gold tends to rise with lower interest rates, while higher cost of money usually weighs down on the yellow metal. Still, most moves depend on how the US Dollar (USD) behaves as the asset is priced in dollars (XAU/USD). A strong Dollar tends to keep the price of Gold controlled, whereas a weaker Dollar is likely to push Gold prices up.
Silver FAQs
Silver is a precious metal highly traded among investors. It has been historically used as a store of value and a medium of exchange. Although less popular than Gold, traders may turn to Silver to diversify their investment portfolio, for its intrinsic value or as a potential hedge during high-inflation periods. Investors can buy physical Silver, in coins or in bars, or trade it through vehicles such as Exchange Traded Funds, which track its price on international markets.
Silver prices can move due to a wide range of factors. Geopolitical instability or fears of a deep recession can make Silver price escalate due to its safe-haven status, although to a lesser extent than Gold's. As a yieldless asset, Silver tends to rise with lower interest rates. Its moves also depend on how the US Dollar (USD) behaves as the asset is priced in dollars (XAG/USD). A strong Dollar tends to keep the price of Silver at bay, whereas a weaker Dollar is likely to propel prices up. Other factors such as investment demand, mining supply – Silver is much more abundant than Gold – and recycling rates can also affect prices.
Silver is widely used in industry, particularly in sectors such as electronics or solar energy, as it has one of the highest electric conductivity of all metals – more than Copper and Gold. A surge in demand can increase prices, while a decline tends to lower them. Dynamics in the US, Chinese and Indian economies can also contribute to price swings: for the US and particularly China, their big industrial sectors use Silver in various processes; in India, consumers’ demand for the precious metal for jewellery also plays a key role in setting prices.
Silver prices tend to follow Gold's moves. When Gold prices rise, Silver typically follows suit, as their status as safe-haven assets is similar. The Gold/Silver ratio, which shows the number of ounces of Silver needed to equal the value of one ounce of Gold, may help to determine the relative valuation between both metals. Some investors may consider a high ratio as an indicator that Silver is undervalued, or Gold is overvalued. On the contrary, a low ratio might suggest that Gold is undervalued relative to Silver.
Author
Eren Sengezer
FXStreet
As an economist at heart, Eren Sengezer specializes in the assessment of the short-term and long-term impacts of macroeconomic data, central bank policies and political developments on financial assets.
