The Great Britain pound ended the week as the weakest currency on the Forex market. While the sterling got some help from domestic macroeconomic data, Brexit fears continued to hurt the currency. The US dollar and the euro were also soft. Commodity currencies were clear winners during the past trading week.
The US dollar is finishing the trading week higher against a handful of currencies as the market appears to be moving on from recent comments pertaining to the greenback’s valuation. With a Federal Reserve bank president discussing the need for action ahead of a crisis and some data to throw in the mix, it has been a fun ride for the dollar this week.
The euro today fell aggressively against the US dollar reversing most of yesterday’s gains after the New York Federal Reserve rushed to clarify dovish comments made by its President John Williams. The EUR/USD currency pair was also pressured by the weak German producer data released earlier today as well as the resurgent greenback.
The US dollar is taking a breather midweek following a strong session on Tuesday, driven by strong economic data that left investors feeling ebullient. A string of housing numbers did come out, but the market did anticipate weakness in the sector, which could adjust traders’ minds about the world’s largest economy being on solid footing.
The US dollar is mixed against most currencies at the end of the trading week, driven by the latest inflation numbers. The greenback is also finding direction on expectations that the central bank will cut interest rates at the end of the month, according to signals during this week’s semi-annual testimony in front of Congress and latest Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) minutes.
The Japanese yen is strengthening against several currencies on Thursday, despite plenty of weak data suggesting that the world’s third-largest economy could be cooling down. The yen might be gaining steam on two things: expectations that the central bank could follow the Federal Reserve’s lead and slash interest rates or breathe a sigh of relief that the US and China have renewed trade talks.
The euro today rallied to new daily highs breaking out of a 3-day losing streak as markets reacted to Jerome Powell’s dovish comments during his testimony before Congress. The EUR/USD currency pair performance today was largely driven by investor sentiment and US dollar dynamics due to the empty European dockets.
The Swiss franc, as well as other safe currencies like the US dollar and the Japanese yen, were extremely strong on Tuesday amid speculations whether the Federal Reserve will cut interest rates this year and how much. Domestic macroeconomic data was also supportive of the Swissie.
The US dollar today rallied to almost 3-week highs as market hopes for future rate cuts from the US Federal Reserve dissipated in the face of positive US jobs data. The greenback also benefitted from the uncertainty surrounding the US-China trade war that caused a significant sell-off in US equity markets and high demand for the dollar.
The Chinese yuan is strengthening to start the trading week as new economic data lifted the currency against several major rivals on Monday. As Beijing begins a trade truce with Washington, foreign exchange reserves were better than expected, which also coincides with new loans expected to surge to their best levels in five months.
