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- US Dollar has soft start of the week with all eyes on inflation
US Dollar has soft start of the week with all eyes on inflation
- The US Dollar is flat to marginally gaining against most major peers.
- All eyes are on the US inflation print for July being released on Wednesday.
- The US Dollar index resides near a key level, and a substantial move could be seen later this week.
The US Dollar (USD) has a soft opening this week, with no real outliers on the quote board on Monday. Traders are taking a clean sheet and have deemed last week’s events as water under the bridge. All eyes will be on the US Consumer Price Index (CPI) for July, which is scheduled for Wednesday.
On the economic data front, it is a calm start to the week, with the US Treasury heading back to markets to auction some shorter-term bills. As such, it is nothing special, though with yields having moved quite a lot last week, traders and markets will be cautious if the bond market hits that snapping point when prices could collapse again. Besides the US CPI, the US Retail Sales data for July scheduled for Thursday will be the last important data point this week.
Daily digest market movers: Bond market pricing
- Although the week has started very calmly, the US Dollar is stronger by 0.5% against the Korean Won (KRW) and the Japanese Yen (JPY) in early European trading.
- Bloomberg reports that in a column on Friday, the People’s Bank of China (PBoC) reported that the PBoC will keep a close eye on the potential rate cuts from the US Federal Reserve (Fed) and will act accordingly to keep the Yuan (CNY) stable against the US Dollar (USD). That could mean substantial devaluations for the CNY once the US Dollar devalues on the back of interest rate cuts from the Fed in order to catch up on the move.
- At 15:30 GMT, the US Treasury will allocate a 3-month and a 6-month bill.
- The US Monthly Budget Statement for July is expected at 18:00 GMT. Expectations are for a deficit of $254.3 billion, coming from a $66 billion deficit.
- Equity markets are going for a calm start to the week. Most major indices are in the green by less than 0.5%.
- The CME Fedwatch Tool shows a 53.5% chance of a 25 basis points (bps) interest rate cut by the Fed in September against a 46.5% chance for a 50 bps. Another 25 bps cut (if September is a 25 bps cut) is expected in November by 42.1%, while a 48.0% chance for a 50 bps cut and 9.9% for a triple rate cut are being pencilled in for that meeting.
- The US 10-year benchmark rate trades at 3.96% after popping above 4.00% briefly on Thursday.
US Dollar Index Technical Analysis: Pivotal hold
The US Dollar Index (DXY) is still trading at that key level since last week, when itwas unable to close above it and continue its recovery. Everything will now depend on the inflation report on Wednesday to move the needle forward. Either the report is disinflationary, and the US Dollar eases further, or there is a pickup in inflation and September starts to look doubtful for an initial interest rate cut.
Still, the first level to recover, which gains importance every day, is 103.18, a level held on August 2 though snapped on August 5 in the Asian hours. Once the DXY closes above that level, next up is 104.00, which was the support from June. If the DXY can return above that level, the 200-day Simple Moving Average (SMA) at 104.15 is the next resistance to look out for.
On the downside, the oversold condition in the Relative Strength Index (RSI) indicator has eased in the daily chart and holds room again for a small leg lower. Support nearby is the March 8 low at 102.35. Once through there, pressure will start to build on 102.00 as a big psychological figure before testing 101.90, which was a pivotal level in December 2023 and January 2024.
US Dollar Index: Daily Chart
US Dollar FAQs
The US Dollar (USD) is the official currency of the United States of America, and the ‘de facto’ currency of a significant number of other countries where it is found in circulation alongside local notes. It is the most heavily traded currency in the world, accounting for over 88% of all global foreign exchange turnover, or an average of $6.6 trillion in transactions per day, according to data from 2022. Following the second world war, the USD took over from the British Pound as the world’s reserve currency. For most of its history, the US Dollar was backed by Gold, until the Bretton Woods Agreement in 1971 when the Gold Standard went away.
The most important single factor impacting on the value of the US Dollar is monetary policy, which is shaped by the Federal Reserve (Fed). The Fed has two mandates: to achieve price stability (control inflation) and foster full employment. Its primary tool to achieve these two goals is by adjusting interest rates. When prices are rising too quickly and inflation is above the Fed’s 2% target, the Fed will raise rates, which helps the USD value. When inflation falls below 2% or the Unemployment Rate is too high, the Fed may lower interest rates, which weighs on the Greenback.
In extreme situations, the Federal Reserve can also print more Dollars and enact quantitative easing (QE). QE is the process by which the Fed substantially increases the flow of credit in a stuck financial system. It is a non-standard policy measure used when credit has dried up because banks will not lend to each other (out of the fear of counterparty default). It is a last resort when simply lowering interest rates is unlikely to achieve the necessary result. It was the Fed’s weapon of choice to combat the credit crunch that occurred during the Great Financial Crisis in 2008. It involves the Fed printing more Dollars and using them to buy US government bonds predominantly from financial institutions. QE usually leads to a weaker US Dollar.
Quantitative tightening (QT) is the reverse process whereby the Federal Reserve stops buying bonds from financial institutions and does not reinvest the principal from the bonds it holds maturing in new purchases. It is usually positive for the US Dollar.
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