US health official Fauci: Cautiously optimistic US on the road to getting coronavirus under control

Eren Sengezer FXStreet

One of the promising coronavirus vaccine candidates will go into a phase-three trial at the end of the month, Dr Anthony Fauci, director of the US National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, announced on Friday.

"I'm cautiously optimistic that the US is on the road to getting the coronavirus under control," Dr Fauci added and reiterated that state and local leaders should be as forceful as possible in urging people to wear masks.

Market reaction

The US Dollar Index paid little to no mind to these comments and was last seen losing 0.3% on the day at 96.01.

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.

EUR/USD stays in tight channel near 1.1800

EUR/USD moves sideways in a narrow band at around 1.1800 in the second half of the day on Friday as investors refrain from taking large positions. February inflation data from Germany and January Producer Price Index figures from the US could drive the pair's action heading into the weekend.

GBP/USD struggles below 1.3500 amid UK political drama, BoE easing bias

GBP/USD struggles to build on the overnight modest bounce from the weekly low and oscillates in a narrow band below 1.3500 on Friday. The Gorton and Denton by-election, held on February 26, has become a focal point of political drama in the UK, along with the BoE easing expectations, acting as a headwind for the GBP.

Gold flat lines below $5,200; traders look to US PPI for fresh impetus

Gold struggles to capitalize on its modest gains registered over the past two days and trades below the $5,200 mark through the first half of the European session on Friday. Geopolitical risks remain in play amid a large US naval and air power buildup in the Middle East.

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.