US Dollar Index trades upside down near 98.30 ahead of US markets opening
- The US Dollar Index trades lower around 98.30 in the countdown to the US markets opening.
- Iran’s readiness for a permanent ceasefire with the US has improved the market mood.
- Investors expect the Fed to leave interest rates unchanged on Wednesday.
The US Dollar Index (DXY), which tracks the Greenback’s value against six major currencies, holds its losses suffered after giving back opening gains around 98.30 during the European trading session on Monday, ahead of the United States (US) markets opening.
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 New Zealand Dollar.
| USD | EUR | GBP | JPY | CAD | AUD | NZD | CHF | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| USD | -0.18% | -0.19% | -0.14% | -0.42% | -0.50% | -0.55% | -0.04% | |
| EUR | 0.18% | 0.01% | 0.06% | -0.23% | -0.28% | -0.35% | 0.14% | |
| GBP | 0.19% | -0.01% | 0.04% | -0.24% | -0.32% | -0.38% | 0.14% | |
| JPY | 0.14% | -0.06% | -0.04% | -0.27% | -0.36% | -0.44% | 0.13% | |
| CAD | 0.42% | 0.23% | 0.24% | 0.27% | -0.08% | -0.16% | 0.38% | |
| AUD | 0.50% | 0.28% | 0.32% | 0.36% | 0.08% | -0.05% | 0.46% | |
| NZD | 0.55% | 0.35% | 0.38% | 0.44% | 0.16% | 0.05% | 0.51% | |
| CHF | 0.04% | -0.14% | -0.14% | -0.13% | -0.38% | -0.46% | -0.51% |
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).
The US Dollar (USD) has come under pressure as market sentiment turns risk-on amid signs of Iran’s readiness to end the war with the United States (US) soon.
Asian equity markets have closed with strong gains, and European stock markets are up, as of writing, which reflects improved demand for riskier assets, while S&P 500 futures are flat ahead of US markets opening.
Earlier in the day, a report from Axios showed that Iran, through Pakistani mediators, gave the US a new proposal on reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, a vital passage to almost 20% of global energy supply, and the ending of the war, with nuclear negotiations postponed for a later stage.
This comes after US President Donald Trump canceled US envoys’visit to Islamabad, which was expected over the weekend, calling it a waste of time, as the counteroffer by Iran’s foreign minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi is not good enough, Axios reported.
Meanwhile, investors shift their focus to the Federal Reserve’s (Fed) monetary policy, which will be announced on Wednesday. The Fed is expected to hold interest rates steady in the current range of 3.50%-3.75% for the third time in a row and warns of upside inflation risks amid elevated energy prices due to supply shocks.
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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