US: Less tangible Trump stimulus than many have assumed - Westpac

Sandeep Kanihama FXStreet Contributor

Richard Franulovich, Research Analyst at Westpac, suggests that incremental news continues to signal there will be less tangible Trump stimulus than many have assumed.

Key Quotes

“The struggle to craft legislation for a new health care bill that can pass the House, where Republicans enjoy a strong 21 seat majority is just the latest example. Tax reform and infrastructure will potentially run afoul of the same challenging political realities in a few months: even if Senate filibuster risks can be dodged via the 2018 reconciliation bill (needing just a simple majority vote) the Republican party remains divided on infrastructure, border adjusted taxes and gutting government agencies.”

“Political/implementation risk to Trump’s growth agenda along with a nonthreatening Fed have seen yield spreads trend against the USD. Near term risks favour yet more USD weakness.”

Author

Sandeep Kanihama

FXStreet Contributor

Sandeep Kanihama is an FX Editor and Analyst with FXstreet having principally focus area on Asia and European markets with commodity, currency and equities coverage. He is stationed in the Indian capital city of Delhi.

EUR/USD remains depressed below mid-1.1800s; downside potential seems limited

The EUR/USD pair attracts some sellers for the second consecutive day on Tuesday and hovers below mid-1.1800s amid a relatively quiet trading action during the Asian session. The broader fundamental backdrop, however, warrants some caution for bearish traders before positioning for deeper losses.

GBP/USD trades with negative bias, eyes 1.3600 ahead of UK jobs data

The GBP/USD pair trades with a negative bias for the second straight day, though it lacks bearish conviction and holds above the 1.3600 mark through the Asian session on Tuesday. Traders now look forward to the release of the UK monthly jobs report, which will influence the British Pound and provide some impetus to the currency pair.

Gold declines as trading volumes remain subdued due to holidays in China

Gold price extends its losses for the second successive session, trading around $4,930 per troy ounce during the Asian hours on Tuesday. Gold price is trading nearly 0.7% lower at the time of writing as trading volumes stayed thin due to market holidays across China, Hong Kong, and other parts of Asia.

AI Crypto Update: Bittensor eyes breakout as AI tokens falter

The artificial intelligence (AI) cryptocurrency segment is witnessing heightened volatility, with top tokens such as Near Protocol (NEAR) struggling to gain traction amid the persistent decline in January and February.

The week ahead: Key inflation readings and why the AI trade could be overdone

It is likely to be a quiet start to the week, with US markets closed on Monday for Presidents Day. European markets are higher across the board and gold is clinging to the $5,000 level after the tamer than expected CPI report in the US reduced haven flows to precious metals.

XRP steadies in narrow range as fund inflows, futures interest rise

Ripple is trading in a narrow range between $1.45 (immediate support) and $1.50 (resistance) at the time of writing on Monday. The remittance token extended its recovery last week, peaking at $1.67 on Sunday from the weekly open at $1.43.