US ISM Services PMI declines to 52.8 in January vs. 54.3 expected

US ISM Services PMI in the US declined slightly to begin the new year.
The US Dollar Index stays deep in negative territory below 107.50.

Eren Sengezer FXStreet

The economic activity in the US service sector continued to expand in January, albeit at a softer pace than in December, with the ISM Services PMI declining to 52.8 from 54. This reading came in below the market expectation of 54.3.

Other details of the report showed that the Prices Paid Index, the inflation component, dropped to 60.4 from 64.4, while the Employment Index edged higher to 52.3 from 51.3.

Market reaction

The US Dollar stays under selling pressure following these data. At the time of press, the US Dollar Index was down 0.6% on the day at 107.35.

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 sticks to positive bias above 0.7100; lacks bullish conviction

AUD/USD trades with a positive bias for the second straight day, holding above 0.7100 in the Asian session on Friday as softer US bond yields keep US Dollar bulls on the back foot. Furthermore, hawkish RBA Governor Bullock's comments boost rate hike bets and support the Aussie. However, the Fed's hawkish outlook, along with geopolitical uncertainties, limits USD losses and caps the pair.

USD/JPY jumps above 157.00 after BoJ's expected rate hike to 1.25%

USD/JPY picks up fresh bids and jumps above 157.00 in the Asian session on Friday after the Japanese Yen remains under intense selling pressure despite the Bank of Japan's (BoJ) interest rate hike to 1.25% and a somewhat hawkish Monetary Policy Statement, as two dissents against the rate hike weigh. All eyes now remain on BoJ Governor Ueda's press conference for further trading impetus.

Gold: Acceptance above $4,400 is critical for buyers

Gold holds the previous recovery around $4,350 early Friday; buyers still cautious. US Dollar trades subdued amid retreating Oil prices and US Treasury bond yields. Gold settled Thursday above the 100-day SMA near $4,320, with a neutral daily RSI.

Bitcoin extends recovery, Ethereum eyes $2,500, XRP holds $1.30

Bitcoin (BTC), Ethereum (ETH) and Ripple (XRP) extend their recovery, trading above $76,700, $2,400 and $1.300, respectively, on Friday. These top three cryptocurrencies now face key technical levels that could determine whether their recoveries extend further or pull back.

Silver is the metal the Copper rebound left behind

Copper producers answered a price near $14,000 a tonne by making more copper in the first half of 2026, and the way they did it means the silver shortfall gets no relief from the mines that supply more than a quarter of the world's silver. Copper is produced two ways.

How Japan became the World's Banker and why that era may be ending

Japan's ultra-low interest rates helped finance trillions of dollars in global investments for more than a decade, making the Japanese Yen one of the world’s cheapest sources of funding. With the Bank of Japan expected to tighten policy again this week, that advantage may be entering a new phase. While most major economies raised interest rates, Japan remained the world's outlier.