Forex Today: Dollar slips and Gold shines ahead of key US data
Here is what you need to know on Tuesday, December 23:
US Dollar Index (DXY) expectations for a dovish Federal Reserve (Fed) monetary policy path into 2026 weigh on sentiment. The US Dollar Index (DXY) trades around 98.30, retreating after climbing to a one-week high on Friday.
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 Euro.
| USD | EUR | GBP | JPY | CAD | AUD | NZD | CHF | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| USD | -0.38% | -0.68% | -0.47% | -0.42% | -0.66% | -0.63% | -0.43% | |
| EUR | 0.38% | -0.30% | -0.09% | -0.04% | -0.29% | -0.25% | -0.06% | |
| GBP | 0.68% | 0.30% | 0.21% | 0.27% | 0.01% | 0.05% | 0.24% | |
| JPY | 0.47% | 0.09% | -0.21% | 0.06% | -0.19% | -0.12% | 0.04% | |
| CAD | 0.42% | 0.04% | -0.27% | -0.06% | -0.25% | -0.20% | -0.02% | |
| AUD | 0.66% | 0.29% | -0.01% | 0.19% | 0.25% | 0.03% | 0.23% | |
| NZD | 0.63% | 0.25% | -0.05% | 0.12% | 0.20% | -0.03% | 0.20% | |
| CHF | 0.43% | 0.06% | -0.24% | -0.04% | 0.02% | -0.23% | -0.20% |
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).
Gold posted an all-time high near $4442 as the Yellow Metal goes on a rally, which has been fuelled by a dovish Federal Reserve (Fed) stance, broadly weaker US Dollar (USD), sustained central-bank buying, and record inflows into Gold-backed ETFs.
EUR/USD trades around 1.1750 on Monday as investors adjust their positioning amid ongoing macroeconomic and monetary uncertainty in the United States (US). The focus shifts to the US data set to be released on Tuesday, key releases include the ADP Employment Change (four-week average), the delayed preliminary Q3 GDP report, Durable Goods Orders, Industrial Production, and Consumer Confidence from the Conference Board.
AUD/USD is trading near 0.6650 during the American trading session on Monday. The Aussie pair strengthens as the US Dollar (USD) underperforms its peers, despite traders remaining confident that the Federal Reserve (Fed) will not cut interest rates in the first policy meeting of 2026.
GBP/USD surged to the 1.3460 price region on Monday after the latest data from the United Kingdom (UK) showed that the economy grew as expected, amid thin liquidity trading and with investors bracing for the Christmas Eve holiday. Sterling rallies in holiday-thinned trading after steady UK growth offsets expectations of further BoE easing in 2026.
USD/JPY trades near the 157.00 level on Monday, trimming back last week’s gains as Japanese officials stepped up verbal warnings against excessive currency moves, underscoring growing unease over the Yen’s recent weakness.
Central banks FAQs
Central Banks have a key mandate which is making sure that there is price stability in a country or region. Economies are constantly facing inflation or deflation when prices for certain goods and services are fluctuating. Constant rising prices for the same goods means inflation, constant lowered prices for the same goods means deflation. It is the task of the central bank to keep the demand in line by tweaking its policy rate. For the biggest central banks like the US Federal Reserve (Fed), the European Central Bank (ECB) or the Bank of England (BoE), the mandate is to keep inflation close to 2%.
A central bank has one important tool at its disposal to get inflation higher or lower, and that is by tweaking its benchmark policy rate, commonly known as interest rate. On pre-communicated moments, the central bank will issue a statement with its policy rate and provide additional reasoning on why it is either remaining or changing (cutting or hiking) it. Local banks will adjust their savings and lending rates accordingly, which in turn will make it either harder or easier for people to earn on their savings or for companies to take out loans and make investments in their businesses. When the central bank hikes interest rates substantially, this is called monetary tightening. When it is cutting its benchmark rate, it is called monetary easing.
A central bank is often politically independent. Members of the central bank policy board are passing through a series of panels and hearings before being appointed to a policy board seat. Each member in that board often has a certain conviction on how the central bank should control inflation and the subsequent monetary policy. Members that want a very loose monetary policy, with low rates and cheap lending, to boost the economy substantially while being content to see inflation slightly above 2%, are called ‘doves’. Members that rather want to see higher rates to reward savings and want to keep a lit on inflation at all time are called ‘hawks’ and will not rest until inflation is at or just below 2%.
Normally, there is a chairman or president who leads each meeting, needs to create a consensus between the hawks or doves and has his or her final say when it would come down to a vote split to avoid a 50-50 tie on whether the current policy should be adjusted. The chairman will deliver speeches which often can be followed live, where the current monetary stance and outlook is being communicated. A central bank will try to push forward its monetary policy without triggering violent swings in rates, equities, or its currency. All members of the central bank will channel their stance toward the markets in advance of a policy meeting event. A few days before a policy meeting takes place until the new policy has been communicated, members are forbidden to talk publicly. This is called the blackout period.
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