New Zealand Trade Balance NZD (YoY) dipped from previous $-2.06B to $-2.2B in December

New Zealand Trade Balance NZD (MoM) came in at $52M, above expectations ($30M) in December

New Zealand Exports: $7.65B (December) vs $6.99B

New Zealand Imports rose from previous $7.15B to $7.6B in December

Brazil Interest Rate Decision meets forecasts (15%)

US equities tested fresh highs but struggled to build momentum as investors digested the Federal Reserve’s latest policy decision and a market rally that remained narrowly focused.

The US Dollar Index (DXY) rebounded above 96.60 on Wednesday after White House Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said the US has a strong-dollar policy, implying the right fundamentals are in place. Bessent also denied that the US was intervening in currency markets to support the Japanese Yen.

The Australian Dollar (AUD) trades slightly lower against the US Dollar (USD) on Wednesday, with AUD/USD stuck in a narrow intraday range as traders show a muted reaction to the Federal Reserve’s (Fed) monetary policy announcement.

The Japanese Yen (JPY) remains under pressure against the US Dollar (USD) on Wednesday, with USD/JPY consolidating gains after the Federal Reserve’s (Fed) monetary policy announcement. At the time of writing, the pair is trading around 153.92, up nearly 1.0% on the day.

GBP/USD stays below the 1.3800 figure after the Federal Reserve’s decided to keep interest rates on hold, on a 10-2 vote split as two Fed Governors opted for a rate cut of 25 basis points. The pair trades volatile within the 1.3740-1.3790 range, ahead of the Fed Chair Jerome Powell press conference.

Gold price retreats during the North American session as the Federal Reserve keeps rates steady while also revealed that the labor market stabilized, which warrants maintaining the Fed funds rate higher for longer.

The US Dollar Index (DXY) jostled but overall remained in Wednesday’s trading neighborhood after the Federal Reserve (Fed) delivered its standard interest rate decision, holding interest rates steady in the 3.5-3.75% range and noting its data-dependent approach. 

EUR/USD fluctuated but remained relatively stable within Wednesday’s pre-existing price action range after the Federal Reserve (Fed) announced it would keep interest rates in the 3.5-3.75% range, emphasizing its data-dependent approach.

United States Fed Interest Rate Decision meets forecasts (3.75%)

EUR/USD dives over 0.70% on Wednesday below the 1.2000 figure as the US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent denied intervention rumors in the FX markets and reiterated the strong Dollar policy. Therefore, broad US Dollar weakness triggered by US President Trump, is fading ahead of the Fed’s decision.

Gold price (XAU/USD) rallies and refreshes all-time highs past the $5,300 figure on Wednesday, following the Greenback’s fall on Tuesday as US President Donald Trump said the value of the Dollar was "great" when asked in Iowa. XAU/USD trades at around $5,290, up more than 2%.

Ethereum (ETH) is struggling to hold $3,000 on Wednesday amid mixed signals across several onchain metrics.

The Euro (EUR) edges lower against the US Dollar (USD) on Wednesday as the Greenback attempts a modest rebound ahead of the Federal Reserve’s interest rate decision due at 19:00 GMT.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA) churned in the midrange as investors await the latest interest rate decision from the Federal Reserve (Fed).

TradeGateHub Live Trading features Dan (@DanMacr0) sharing his journey and his views on the crypto market, with the Coach asking him about his cycle analysis and market capitalization work.

USD/JPY trades around 153.60 on Wednesday at the time of writing, up 0.80% on the day, as the US Dollar (USD) attempts to stabilize after hitting a four-year low earlier in the week.

This is a summary of the main highlights following the BoC’s interest rate decision earlier on Wednesday.

US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said rate decisions remain firmly in the Fed’s domain and expressed hope that policymakers would keep an open mind.

The Canadian Dollar (CAD) holds firm against the US Dollar (USD) on Wednesday, as traders digest a largely uneventful Bank of Canada (BoC) interest decision.

Russia Producer Price Index (MoM) declined to -1.6% in December from previous -0.9%

Russia Producer Price Index (YoY): -3.3% (December) vs previous -1.1%

The GBP/USD retreats after posting four-year highs of 1.3868 on Tuesday, edges below the 1.3800 mark as traders await the monetary policy decision of the Federal Reserve. At the time of writing, the pair trades at 1.3798, down 0.32%.