Forex Today: US Dollar pulls back as markets assess Iran; Fed, ECB ahead
Here is what you need to know for Tuesday, March 17:
The US Dollar (USD) reversed its four-day positive streak on Monday after markets assessed the United States (US) strike on Kharg Island, a strategic Iranian Oil outpost in the Persian Gulf, and warned that if Tehran continues to disrupt naval activity in the Strait of Hormuz, the US could target Oil infrastructure next. President Trump also urged allies to help secure that key shipping lane, but as of yet there are no takers.
The US Dollar Index (DXY) is trading near the 99.80 price region, coming down from the 100 mark it hit last week after escalations in the US and Israel's war on Iran.
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 Canadian Dollar.
| USD | EUR | GBP | JPY | CAD | AUD | NZD | CHF | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| USD | -0.90% | -0.83% | -0.46% | -0.35% | -1.32% | -1.62% | -0.55% | |
| EUR | 0.90% | 0.17% | 0.44% | 0.57% | -0.41% | -0.60% | 0.35% | |
| GBP | 0.83% | -0.17% | 0.36% | 0.41% | -0.57% | -0.80% | 0.21% | |
| JPY | 0.46% | -0.44% | -0.36% | 0.16% | -0.83% | -0.97% | -0.10% | |
| CAD | 0.35% | -0.57% | -0.41% | -0.16% | -0.97% | -1.19% | -0.20% | |
| AUD | 1.32% | 0.41% | 0.57% | 0.83% | 0.97% | -0.22% | 0.83% | |
| NZD | 1.62% | 0.60% | 0.80% | 0.97% | 1.19% | 0.22% | 1.01% | |
| CHF | 0.55% | -0.35% | -0.21% | 0.10% | 0.20% | -0.83% | -1.01% |
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 trading near the 1.1500 price region, breaking a four-day losing streak as the Euro (EUR) recovers some ground amid traders repositioning ahead of the separate European Central Bank (ECB) and the Federal Reserve (Fed) decisions. The monetary policy decisions are widely expected to keep interest rates unchanged this week.
GBP/USD is trading near the 1.3330 price zone, trimming almost all its losses from last week’s downward rally as investors prepare ahead of the Bank of England's (BoE) interest rate decision on Wednesday. The BoE is widely expected to hold interest rates steady.
USD/JPY is trading near the 159.00 level ahead of policy decisions from the Federal Reserve (Fed) and the Bank of Japan (BoJ) scheduled for Wednesday and Thursday, respectively.
West Texas Intermediate (WTI) Oil is trading for around $93.80 per barrel as traders ease after last week's spike.
Gold is trading at $5,011, little changed throughout the day but still losing ground after risk aversion dissipated.
What’s next in the docket:
Tuesday, March 10:
- United Kingdom, February, BRC Like-For-Like Retail Sale.
- China, February, Exports.
- China, February, Trade Balance.
- Germany, January, Trade Balance.
- Eurozone, EcoFin Meeting.
- United States, ADP Employment Change.
- United States, February, Existing Home Sales Change.
Wednesday, March 11:
- Germany, February, HICP.
- United Kingdom, BoE Monetary Policy Report Hearings.
- United Kingdom, Consumer Inflation Expectations.
- United States, February, CPI.
Thursday, March 12:
- Australia, March, Consumer Inflation Expectations
- UK, January, Industrial Production.
- United States, January, Building Permits.
- United States, January, Housing Starts.
- United States, Initial Jobless Claims.
- United States, February, Monthly Budget Statement.
- New Zealand, February, Business NZ PMI.
Friday, March 13:
- UK, January, GDP.
- UK, January, Manufacturing Production.
- Spain, February, HICP.
- Eurozone, January, Industrial Production s.a.
- Canada, February, Average Hourly Wages.
- Canada, February, Net Change in Employment.
- Canada, February, Unemployment Rate.
- United States, January, Core Personal Consumption Expenditures - Price Index.
- United States, Flash (Q4), Core Personal Consumption Expenditures.
- United States, January, Durable Goods Orders.
- United States, Flash (Q4), Gross Domestic Product Annualized.
- United States, Flash (Q4), Gross Domestic Product Price Index.
- United States, January, Nondefense Capital Goods Orders ex Aircraft.
- United States, January, Personal Consumption Expenditures - Price Index.
- United States, Flash (Q4), Personal Consumption Expenditures Prices.
- United States, January, Personal Income.
- United States, January, Personal Spending.
- United States, Flash March, Michigan Consumer Expectations Index.
- United States, Flash March, Michigan Consumer Sentiment Index.
- United States, Flash March, UoM 1-year Consumer Inflation Expectations.
- United States, January, JOLTS Job Openings.
- United States, Flash March, UoM 5-year Consumer Inflation Expectation.
WTI Oil FAQs
WTI Oil is a type of Crude Oil sold on international markets. The WTI stands for West Texas Intermediate, one of three major types including Brent and Dubai Crude. WTI is also referred to as “light” and “sweet” because of its relatively low gravity and sulfur content respectively. It is considered a high quality Oil that is easily refined. It is sourced in the United States and distributed via the Cushing hub, which is considered “The Pipeline Crossroads of the World”. It is a benchmark for the Oil market and WTI price is frequently quoted in the media.
Like all assets, supply and demand are the key drivers of WTI Oil price. As such, global growth can be a driver of increased demand and vice versa for weak global growth. Political instability, wars, and sanctions can disrupt supply and impact prices. The decisions of OPEC, a group of major Oil-producing countries, is another key driver of price. The value of the US Dollar influences the price of WTI Crude Oil, since Oil is predominantly traded in US Dollars, thus a weaker US Dollar can make Oil more affordable and vice versa.
The weekly Oil inventory reports published by the American Petroleum Institute (API) and the Energy Information Agency (EIA) impact the price of WTI Oil. Changes in inventories reflect fluctuating supply and demand. If the data shows a drop in inventories it can indicate increased demand, pushing up Oil price. Higher inventories can reflect increased supply, pushing down prices. API’s report is published every Tuesday and EIA’s the day after. Their results are usually similar, falling within 1% of each other 75% of the time. The EIA data is considered more reliable, since it is a government agency.
OPEC (Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries) is a group of 12 Oil-producing nations who collectively decide production quotas for member countries at twice-yearly meetings. Their decisions often impact WTI Oil prices. When OPEC decides to lower quotas, it can tighten supply, pushing up Oil prices. When OPEC increases production, it has the opposite effect. OPEC+ refers to an expanded group that includes ten extra non-OPEC members, the most notable of which is Russia.
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