FX Today: US soft data maintains US Dollar under pressure
Here is what you need to know on Wednesday, December 17:
The US Dollar Index (DXY) tumbled below 98.00 on Tuesday, reaching its lowest level since mid-October. The Greenback faced intense selling pressure following a delayed labor report that revealed a significant softening in the US job market, overshadowing weak economic activity data from Europe.
US Dollar Price Today
The table below shows the percentage change of US Dollar (USD) against listed major currencies today. US Dollar was the strongest against the Australian Dollar.
| USD | EUR | GBP | JPY | CAD | AUD | NZD | CHF | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| USD | -0.01% | -0.36% | -0.32% | -0.20% | 0.05% | -0.03% | -0.18% | |
| EUR | 0.00% | -0.35% | -0.33% | -0.20% | 0.06% | -0.02% | -0.17% | |
| GBP | 0.36% | 0.35% | 0.02% | 0.15% | 0.42% | 0.33% | 0.18% | |
| JPY | 0.32% | 0.33% | -0.02% | 0.12% | 0.38% | 0.29% | 0.14% | |
| CAD | 0.20% | 0.20% | -0.15% | -0.12% | 0.26% | 0.19% | 0.03% | |
| AUD | -0.05% | -0.06% | -0.42% | -0.38% | -0.26% | -0.09% | -0.23% | |
| NZD | 0.03% | 0.02% | -0.33% | -0.29% | -0.19% | 0.09% | -0.15% | |
| CHF | 0.18% | 0.17% | -0.18% | -0.14% | -0.03% | 0.23% | 0.15% |
The heat map shows percentage changes of major currencies against each other. The base currency is picked from the left column, while the quote currency is picked from the top row. For example, if you pick the US Dollar from the left column and move along the horizontal line to the Japanese Yen, the percentage change displayed in the box will represent USD (base)/JPY (quote).
EUR/USD is hovering around the 1.1750 price region. Despite German manufacturing remaining in contraction (47.7), the pair rallied as the yield gap between the Federal Reserve (Fed) and the European Central Bank (ECB) narrowed.
GBP/USD is trading near the 1.3430 handle. Focus shifts to Wednesday, as the United Kingdom (UK) Consumer Price Index (CPI) will be released, with expectations of a 0% monthly and 3.5% annual reading for November. On Thursday, the Bank of England (BoE) will announce its monetary policy decision.
USD/JPY broke below the 155.00 mark, now trading near the 154.65 price region. Speculation is mounting that the Bank of Japan will hike rates to 0.75% on Friday, to defend the currency against persistent inflation.
AUD/USD: The Aussie is struggling to capitalize on the broad USD sell-off, trading near 0.6630 as disappointing data from its largest trading partner weighed on sentiment. China reported earlier this week that November Retail Sales fell sharply to 1.3% from the previous 2.9% and the expected 2.9%. Industrial Production for November also fell below expectations, down to 4.8% on an annualized basis from the expected 5% and slightly below the previous reading of 4.9%.
Gold fell near the $4270 price region earlier in Asian trading hours, then surged to trim part of its losses on Tuesday, as a "perfect storm" of cooling US labor data and rising inflation concerns reignited the bull run. The bright metal, however, remains stuck around $4,300.
Gold FAQs
Gold has played a key role in human’s history as it has been widely used as a store of value and medium of exchange. Currently, apart from its shine and usage for jewelry, the precious metal is widely seen as a safe-haven asset, meaning that it is considered a good investment during turbulent times. Gold is also widely seen as a hedge against inflation and against depreciating currencies as it doesn’t rely on any specific issuer or government.
Central banks are the biggest Gold holders. In their aim to support their currencies in turbulent times, central banks tend to diversify their reserves and buy Gold to improve the perceived strength of the economy and the currency. High Gold reserves can be a source of trust for a country’s solvency. Central banks added 1,136 tonnes of Gold worth around $70 billion to their reserves in 2022, according to data from the World Gold Council. This is the highest yearly purchase since records began. Central banks from emerging economies such as China, India and Turkey are quickly increasing their Gold reserves.
Gold has an inverse correlation with the US Dollar and US Treasuries, which are both major reserve and safe-haven assets. When the Dollar depreciates, Gold tends to rise, enabling investors and central banks to diversify their assets in turbulent times. Gold is also inversely correlated with risk assets. A rally in the stock market tends to weaken Gold price, while sell-offs in riskier markets tend to favor the precious metal.
The price can move due to a wide range of factors. Geopolitical instability or fears of a deep recession can quickly make Gold price escalate due to its safe-haven status. As a yield-less asset, Gold tends to rise with lower interest rates, while higher cost of money usually weighs down on the yellow metal. Still, most moves depend on how the US Dollar (USD) behaves as the asset is priced in dollars (XAU/USD). A strong Dollar tends to keep the price of Gold controlled, whereas a weaker Dollar is likely to push Gold prices up.
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