AUD/USD holds onto gains near 0.6670 as US Dollar declines further
- AUD/USD clings to gains near 0.6670 amid weakness in the US Dollar.
- The Fed is certain to cut interest rates in the policy meeting on Wednesday.
- Australian Unemployment Rate is expected to have remained steady at 4.25 in August.
The AUD/USD trades firmly near its Monday’s high around 0.6670 during the European trading session on Tuesday. The Aussie pair demonstrates strength as the US Dollar (USD) falls further due to firm expectations that the Federal Reserve (Fed) will start unwinding the restrictive monetary policy stance from its monetary policy outcome on Wednesday.
During the press time, the US Dollar Index (DXY), which tracks the Greenback’s value against six major currencies, posts a fresh seven-week low near 97.00.
US Dollar Price Today
The table below shows the percentage change of US Dollar (USD) against listed major currencies today. US Dollar was the weakest against the Swiss Franc.
| USD | EUR | GBP | JPY | CAD | AUD | NZD | CHF | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| USD | -0.44% | -0.30% | -0.19% | -0.18% | -0.12% | -0.07% | -0.51% | |
| EUR | 0.44% | 0.13% | 0.10% | 0.24% | 0.37% | 0.35% | -0.07% | |
| GBP | 0.30% | -0.13% | 0.02% | 0.12% | 0.26% | 0.23% | -0.21% | |
| JPY | 0.19% | -0.10% | -0.02% | 0.10% | 0.16% | -0.04% | -0.25% | |
| CAD | 0.18% | -0.24% | -0.12% | -0.10% | 0.06% | 0.08% | -0.32% | |
| AUD | 0.12% | -0.37% | -0.26% | -0.16% | -0.06% | 0.07% | -0.44% | |
| NZD | 0.07% | -0.35% | -0.23% | 0.04% | -0.08% | -0.07% | -0.38% | |
| CHF | 0.51% | 0.07% | 0.21% | 0.25% | 0.32% | 0.44% | 0.38% |
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).
According to the CME FedWatch tool, there is a 96% chance that the Fed will reduce interest rates by 25 basis points (bps) to 4.00%-4.25%, while the rest support a bigger reduction of 50 bps.
Fed dovish expectations have been boosted by deteriorating United States (US) labor market conditions in the wake of tariffs imposed by President Donald Trump. Lately, a majority of Fed members, including Chair Jerome Powell, argued in favor of monetary policy expansion, citing downside employment risks.
Meanwhile, investors await the US Retail Sales data for August, which will be published at 12:30 GMT. The Census Bureau is expected to show that Retail Sales, a key measure of consumer spending, is estimated to have grown at a moderate pace of 0.2%.
In Australia, investors await the employment data for August, which is scheduled for Thursday. The Unemployment Rate is seen steady at 4.2%. The economy is expected to have added 21.2K fresh workers, slightly lower than the prior reading of 24.5K.
Fed FAQs
Monetary policy in the US is shaped by the Federal Reserve (Fed). The Fed has two mandates: to achieve price stability and foster full employment. Its primary tool to achieve these goals is by adjusting interest rates. When prices are rising too quickly and inflation is above the Fed’s 2% target, it raises interest rates, increasing borrowing costs throughout the economy. This results in a stronger US Dollar (USD) as it makes the US a more attractive place for international investors to park their money. When inflation falls below 2% or the Unemployment Rate is too high, the Fed may lower interest rates to encourage borrowing, which weighs on the Greenback.
The Federal Reserve (Fed) holds eight policy meetings a year, where the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) assesses economic conditions and makes monetary policy decisions. The FOMC is attended by twelve Fed officials – the seven members of the Board of Governors, the president of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, and four of the remaining eleven regional Reserve Bank presidents, who serve one-year terms on a rotating basis.
In extreme situations, the Federal Reserve may resort to a policy named 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 during crises or when inflation is extremely low. It was the Fed’s weapon of choice during the Great Financial Crisis in 2008. It involves the Fed printing more Dollars and using them to buy high grade bonds from financial institutions. QE usually weakens the US Dollar.
Quantitative tightening (QT) is the reverse process of QE, whereby the Federal Reserve stops buying bonds from financial institutions and does not reinvest the principal from the bonds it holds maturing, to purchase new bonds. It is usually positive for the value of the US Dollar.
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