|

US Dollar Index: DXY eyes range break – BBH

Brown Brothers Harriman’s (BBH) Elias Haddad notes that the US Dollar Index (DXY) is likely to overshoot the upper end of its 96.00–100.00 range as resilient United States (US) economic activity and a positive net energy balance support a more restrictive Federal Reserve (Fed). Strong foreign demand for US securities underpins the Dollar, although shrinking trade deficits may structurally weigh on USD over time.

DXY seen overshooting established range

"In our view, the dollar index (DXY) looks likely to overshoot the upper end of its nearly one year 96.00-100.00 range. The US has a positive net energy balance and resilient US economic activity backs a more restrictive Fed. Indeed, the Atlanta Fed GDPNow model estimates annualized real GDP growth of 4.0% in Q2 vs. 2.0% in Q1."

"Moreover, underlying demand for USD remains strong. The US Treasury International Capital (TIC) data showed that in the twelve months to March, foreign investors accumulated $1553bn of long-term US securities (treasury bonds & notes, corporate bonds, equities, gov’t agency bonds). While down from the record high of $1680bn in January and the lowest since October 2025, the amount still dwarfs the -$700bn accumulated US trade deficit over the same period. "

"Nevertheless, we expect foreign appetite for US long-term securities to dwindle over time. The Trump administration’s effort to narrow the US trade deficit means fewer dollars will flow overseas, reducing the need for those funds to be recycled back into US securities. That’s pure balance of payments mechanics and is a structural drag on USD."

(This article was created with the help of an Artificial Intelligence tool and reviewed by an editor.)

Author

FXStreet Insights Team

The FXStreet Insights Team is a group of journalists that handpicks selected market observations published by renowned experts. The content includes notes by commercial as well as additional insights by internal and external analysts.

More from FXStreet Insights Team
Share:

Editor's Picks

AUD/USD bulls regain control above 0.6950 amid USD retreat

AUD/USD regains traction and extends the previous day's bounce from the weekly low, aiming for 0.7000 in Asia on Friday. The overnight pullback in US bond yields keeps the US Dollar below an 18-month high, which in turn offers some support to the pair. Meanwhile, hawkish RBA expectations also keep the major underpinned.

USD/JPY holds gains near 158.00 after Japan's weak Household Spending data

USD/JPY clings to gains around 158.00 after data showed on Friday that Japan's Household Spending fell for the ninth straight month, undermining the Japanese Yen. Meanwhile, the US Dollar remains depressed as the overnight fall in US bond yields counters a hawkish Fed and geopolitical uncertainties, could cap any downside in the pair.

Gold remains range-bound below $4,200

Gold has given up some ground after an initial bullish attempt to reach weekly highs, returning to below the $4,200 mark per troy ounce on Friday. The US Dollar’s strong upside momentum, combined with rising US Treasury yields across the curve, seems to keep further gains in the yellow metal under scrutiny.

Week ahead: US CPI, France’s budget crisis and Q3 earnings to set the market tone
The US dollar held relatively strong this week, despite the disappointing US jobs report on October 2, which further decreased the probability of a back-to-back rate hike by the Fed at the upcoming gathering on October 28.
CFTC Report: Euro and Aussie shorts expand amid diverging signals

The week in one sentence: Euro and Australian Dollar shorts deepened in the week to October 6, while Yen longs rebuilt. In addition, Coffee buying continued, and Gold exposure remained elevated despite another price decline. Speculators turned more negative on the Euro, increasing the net exposure to around 99.3K contracts.

Has Bitcoin really escaped the macro forces it was built to fight?
Over 17 years ago, Satoshi Nakamoto designed Bitcoin (BTC) on the back of a global financial crisis as an alternative to the global monetary system outside the control of central banks, governments and traditional intermediaries. This raises a key question: has Bitcoin really become independent of the macroeconomic forces it was built to challenge?