|

US Dollar Index falls below 100.50 following Moody’s downgrade of US credit rating

  • The US Dollar Index faces pressure after Moody’s downgraded the US credit rating by one notch.
  • Moody’s now projects US federal debt to surge to around 134% of GDP by 2035, up from 98% in 2023.
  • US Treasury Secretary Bessent noted that Trump plans to impose tariffs on trade partners that fail in “good faith” negotiations.

The US Dollar Index (DXY), which tracks the US Dollar (USD) against a basket of six major currencies, has retraced its recent gains from the previous session and is trading around 100.40 during the Asian hours on Monday.

The US Dollar faces challenges as Moody’s Ratings has downgraded the US credit rating from Aaa to Aa1, aligning with previous downgrades by Fitch Ratings in 2023 and Standard & Poor’s in 2011. Moody’s now forecasts US federal debt to rise to approximately 134% of GDP by 2035, up from 98% in 2023. The federal deficit is projected to widen to nearly 9% of GDP, fueled by mounting debt-servicing costs, increased entitlement spending, and declining tax revenues.

However, the Greenback received support from renewed optimism over a 90-day US-China trade truce and expectations of further trade agreements with other nations. Meanwhile, US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent told CNN on Sunday that President Donald Trump plans to impose tariffs at previously threatened levels on trade partners who fail to negotiate in “good faith.”

Economic data released last week showed signs of easing inflation, with both the Consumer Price Index (CPI) and Producer Price Index (PPI) indicating a slowdown in price pressures. These figures have increased expectations that the Federal Reserve could cut interest rates further in 2025, adding to the downward bias on the Greenback. Moreover, weak US Retail Sales data has reinforced concerns about a prolonged period of subdued economic growth.

US Dollar PRICE Today

The table below shows the percentage change of US Dollar (USD) against listed major currencies today. US Dollar was the weakest against the Euro.

USDEURGBPJPYCADAUDNZDCHF
USD-0.74%-0.63%-0.35%-0.17%-0.35%-0.27%-0.40%
EUR0.74%-0.14%0.20%0.40%0.29%0.30%0.13%
GBP0.63%0.14%0.04%0.55%0.43%0.44%0.26%
JPY0.35%-0.20%-0.04%0.20%0.18%0.29%0.02%
CAD0.17%-0.40%-0.55%-0.20%-0.17%-0.10%-0.28%
AUD0.35%-0.29%-0.43%-0.18%0.17%0.00%-0.16%
NZD0.27%-0.30%-0.44%-0.29%0.10%-0.01%-0.18%
CHF0.40%-0.13%-0.26%-0.02%0.28%0.16%0.18%

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).

Author

Akhtar Faruqui

Akhtar Faruqui is a Forex Analyst based in New Delhi, India. With a keen eye for market trends and a passion for dissecting complex financial dynamics, he is dedicated to delivering accurate and insightful Forex news and analysis.

More from Akhtar Faruqui
Share:

Editor's Picks

GBP/USD off highs, back to 1.3620

GBP/USD remains slightly on the defensive at the end of the week, receding to the low 1.3600s after hitting fresh tops past 1.3670 earlier in the day. Cable’s correction comes after two daily gains in a row and amid a tepid advance in the Greenback, while poor UK data also accompany the downside.

EUR/USD treads water below 1.1700

EUR/USD now trades with modest losses around 1.1670 following another unsuccessful atempt to advance past 1.1700 the figure in a convincing fashion. The pair’s decline follows a maginal rebound in the US Dollar as market participants continue to assess recent US data as well as developments from the US bond market.

Gold trims gains, recedes to the sub-$4,600 area

Gold rapidly leaves behind Thursday’s inconclusive price action and advances markedly on Friday, briefly surpassing the $4,600 mark per troy ounce to hit three-month peaks. Meanwhile, the precious metal’s solid performance comes despite marginal gains in the buck coupled with another day of rising US Treasury yields across the curve.

Crypto Today: Bitcoin, Ethereum, XRP bulls accelerate rally amid rising ETF inflows

The cryptocurrency market remains bullish on Friday, led by Bitcoin’s surge above $77,000. Altcoins, including Ethereum and Ripple, mirror BTC’s positive outlook, trading near $2,400 and $1.35, respectively.

Week ahead – Fed’s Jackson Hole and Nvidia earnings to dictate markets

Kevin Warsh to make his Jackson Hole debut amid confusing messaging. But a major hawkish surprise unlikely after bond market intervention. Nvidia earnings to also determine market direction as stock rally cools.

$20 billion offered, $2 billion taken: Why Treasury doubled its buyback cap

The US Treasury moved off its own calendar on Wednesday, and that is the part worth sitting with. At 12:32 GMT, the department said it would at least double the size of liquidity support buyback operations in the 10-year to 20-year and 20-year to 30-year sectors, lifting the maximum from $2 billion per operation to at least $4 billion, effective September 9 and running to November 4.