The US dollar remains firm

Dollar steady ahead of FOMC meeting

Currency markets are refusing to buy into the Ukraine talks or a more dovish FOMC story, with the US dollar maintaining its recent gains versus the majors and continuing to grind higher versus key Asian currencies. The dollar index was almost unchanged at 99.01 overnight, although it traded in a choppy 40 point range, easing only slightly to 98.89 in Asia today. 98.50 and 99.50 appear to be the key levels for now.

EUR/USD tested 1.1000 overnight but retreated to 1.0950 as Russian statements appeared to pour cold water on the progress with talks. EUR/USD has edged higher to 1.0965 in Asia with 1.1020 resistance, while multi-year support remains at 1.0800. The single currency remains at the mercy of Ukraine headlines and how hawkish, or not, the FOMC is this evening. GBP/USD is mid-range at 1.3050 today, having traced out a double bottom at 1.3000 with resistance at 1.3100. A hawkish FOMC tonight will put the pressure on the Bank of England to follow suit tomorrow with a 0.25% hike. AUD/USD and NZD/USD remain at the bottom of their ranges despite risk sentiment improving. Both remain vulnerable now that commodity prices have also eased. USD/JPY is consolidating above 118.00, and a hawkish FOMC this evening likely sees the rally towards 120.00 resuming.

The PBOC set a neutral USD/CNY fix today after a few weaker ones signalling its displeasure at further CNY appreciation. USD/CNY is trading at 6.3600, and USD/CNH at 6.3800 today, with nerves around China’s growth being offset by news that Saudi Arabia is looking to accept oil payments in yuan. That has capped gains in USD/CNY and USD/CNH for now.

Notably, the KRW, THB, NTD and PHP have only made modest gains versus the US dollar in the last 24 hours, and all remain near recent lows versus the greenback. The fall in energy prices has provided no respite and with inflationary pressures to remain elevated, China’s growth fears swirling, and the PBOC signalling a weaker yuan, regional Asian currencies will remain under pressure.

Content is for general information purposes only. It is not investment advice or a solution to buy or sell securities. Opinions are the authors; not necessarily that of OANDA Business Information & Services, Inc. or any of its affiliates, subsidiaries, officers or directors. If you would like to reproduce or redistribute any of the content found on MarketPulse, an award winning forex, commodities and global indices analysis and news site service produced by OANDA Business Information & Services, Inc., please access the RSS feed or contact us at info@marketpulse.com. Visit https://www.marketpulse.com/ to find out more about the beat of the global markets. © 2023 OANDA Business Information & Services Inc.

Jeffrey Halley

Jeffrey Halley

Senior Market Analyst, Asia Pacific, from 2016 to August 2022
With more than 30 years of FX experience – from spot/margin trading and NDFs through to currency options and futures – Jeffrey Halley was OANDA’s Senior Market Analyst for Asia Pacific, responsible for providing timely and relevant macro analysis covering a wide range of asset classes. He has previously worked with leading institutions such as Saxo Capital Markets, DynexCorp Currency Portfolio Management, IG, IFX, Fimat Internationale Banque, HSBC and Barclays. A highly sought-after analyst, Jeffrey has appeared on a wide range of global news channels including Bloomberg, BBC, Reuters, CNBC, MSN, Sky TV and Channel News Asia as well as in leading print publications such as The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal, among others. He was born in New Zealand and holds an MBA from the Cass Business School.
Jeffrey Halley
Jeffrey Halley

Latest posts by Jeffrey Halley (see all)