Forex Today: SNB rate decision, US Jobless Claims report in the spotlight
Here is what you need to know on Thursday, December 11:
The US Dollar (USD) recovers from earlier losses against its six major currency rivals after the US Federal Reserve (Fed) delivered a widely expected rate cut and signaled that it may leave rates unchanged in the coming months.
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 | 0.05% | 0.13% | 0.08% | 0.16% | 0.68% | 0.38% | -0.06% | |
| EUR | -0.05% | 0.08% | 0.02% | 0.11% | 0.63% | 0.33% | -0.11% | |
| GBP | -0.13% | -0.08% | -0.04% | 0.03% | 0.55% | 0.25% | -0.19% | |
| JPY | -0.08% | -0.02% | 0.04% | 0.09% | 0.61% | 0.29% | -0.12% | |
| CAD | -0.16% | -0.11% | -0.03% | -0.09% | 0.53% | 0.20% | -0.22% | |
| AUD | -0.68% | -0.63% | -0.55% | -0.61% | -0.53% | -0.30% | -0.73% | |
| NZD | -0.38% | -0.33% | -0.25% | -0.29% | -0.20% | 0.30% | -0.44% | |
| CHF | 0.06% | 0.11% | 0.19% | 0.12% | 0.22% | 0.73% | 0.44% |
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 Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) voted 9-3 on Wednesday to lower the benchmark federal funds rate by 25 basis points (bps) to a range of 3.5%-3.75%. Fed Chair Jerome Powell emphasized that the US central bank is now "well positioned to wait and see how the economy evolves" and noted that a future rate hike is not a base-case scenario. Fed officials signaled they expect to lower rates just once next year.
Traders brace for the release of the US Balance of Trade, followed by the usual weekly Initial Jobless Claims and Wholesale Inventories reports, which will be published in the North American session on Thursday. Analysts estimate the number of Americans filing new applications for unemployment benefits to rise to 220,000, compared to 191,000 in the previous reading.
Earlier in the Asian session on Thursday, the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) reported that the country’s Unemployment Rate was 4.3% in November, remaining steady from the previous month. The figure came in below the market consensus of 4.4%. Furthermore, the Australian Employment Change arrived at -21.3K in November from 41.1K in October (revised from 42.2K), compared with the forecast of 20K.
AUD/USD faces some selling pressure following the release of mixed Australian jobs data and currently trades below mid-0.6600s
USD/JPY trades on a stronger note above 156.00, bolstered by renewed USD demand. Earlier on Thursday, Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara said that the government will closely monitor the impact on the Japanese economy of US financial conditions following the Fed rate cut.
USD/CHF holds steady around 0.8000. Traders await the Swiss National Bank (SNB) interest rate decision, which is likely to continue its current zero interest rate policy at its December meeting.
USD/CAD remains on the defensive above 1.3800. The Bank of Canada (BoC) held its key interest rate at 2.25% on Wednesday on the back of encouraging third-quarter data. BoC Governor Tiff Macklem stated that the current rate is at "about the right level" to keep inflation near the 2% target and support the economy through its structural transition.
EUR/USD loses traction to below 1.1700 after hitting an eight-week high in Thursday’s early Asian session.
GBP/USD softens after coming close to testing the 1.3400 barrier earlier. On Tuesday, BoE Deputy Governors Clare Lombardelli and Dave Ramsden supported a moderate monetary easing cycle, saying that risks to inflation are still on the upside.
Gold attracts some sellers around $4,200 heading into the European session. Silver corrects to near $62.00 after reaching an all-time high of $62.89 earlier in the Asian trading hours.
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