US ISM Services PMI declines to 52.6 in February vs. 53 expected

ISM Services PMI came in slightly below the market expectation in February.
US Dollar Index turned south and declined toward 103.50 after the data.

Eren Sengezer FXStreet

Business activity in the US service sector continued to expand in February, albeit at a more moderate pace than in January, with the ISM Services PMI edging lower to 52.6 from 53.4. This reading came in below the market expectation of 53.

Other details of the report showed that the Prices Paid Index, the inflation component, declined to 58.6 from 64, while the Employment Index fell to 48 from 50.5, reflecting a decrease in the sector's payrolls.

Assessing the survey's findings, "the slight decrease in the rate of growth in February is a result of faster supplier deliveries and the contraction in the Employment Index," said Anthony Nieves, Chair of the Institute for Supply Management Services Business Survey Committee, and continued:

"The majority of respondents are mostly positive about business conditions. Respondents remain concerned about inflation, employment and ongoing geopolitical conflicts."

Market reaction

The US Dollar (USD) came under bearish pressure with the immediate reaction to the PMI data. At the time of press, the US Dollar Index was down 0.2% on the day at 103.63.

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.

AUD/USD consolidates above 0.6950 amid risk aversion

AUD/USD consolidates in the Asian session on Thursday, trading just above 0.6950 as traders assess developments in the Middle East crisis. The Pentagon reportedly ordered readiness for potential strikes against Iran. This keeps the geopolitical risk premium in play, which, along with hawkish FOMC Minutes and elevated US bond yields, will likely keep the US Dollar underpinned at the expense of the pair.

USD/JPY slips below 158.00 as USD retreats

USD/JPY returns to the red below 158.00 in the Asian session on Thursday amid speculation that authorities will step in to prop up the Japanese Yen. Meanwhile, the US Dollar eases from near an 18-month high on profit taking, ignoring Wednesday's hawkish FOMC Minutes and the risk of a further escalation of tensions in the Middle East, adding to the pair's pullback.

Gold picks up pace; focus is back to $4,150

Gold regains some composure and climbs back to the vicinity $4,150 mark per troy ounce amid decent gains on Thursday. The yellow metal’s recovery follows some loss of momentum in the US Dollar strength and a mild drop in US Treasury yields in the 10y-30y segment.

Crypto Today: Bitcoin, Ethereum, XRP extend sell-off amid ETF outflows

Bitcoin (BTC) extends its decline below $83,000 on Thursday as heightened selling pressure weighs on the market. Leading altcoins, including Ethereum (ETH) and Ripple (XRP), mirror the sector-wide pullback, with ETH dipping under $2,600 and XRP challenging support at $1.40.

ECB expected to pause in October before hiking rates in December – Reuters poll

The European Central Bank (ECB) is expected to leave interest rates unchanged in October before delivering another increase in December, according to a Reuters poll conducted October 5-8. The survey shows that 70 of 73 economists expect the ECB to hold its deposit rate at 2.50% on October 29, while 64 of 73 anticipate a 25-basis-point (bps) hike in December.

The UK 30-year gilt just hit a 1998 high. Is that good or bad for the British Pound?

The yield on the UK's 30-year government bond, or gilt, went through 6% on October 1 for the first time since early 1998, and on Monday the Pound was at its strongest against the Euro since June 2025. The gilt market's 28-year high is mostly someone else's. Since early May, the 30-year gilt yield has risen about 0.15 of a percentage point and the US 30-year about 0.7.