USD
The US dollar staged a sudden selloff when President-elect Trump delivered his first press conference during which he focused on a number of issues such as Russia’s election hack, drug overpricing, and Mexico’s automobile industry among many others but failed to share more fiscal policy details.
US initial jobless claims and speeches by FOMC members Evans and Harker are lined up.
EUR
The euro had a mixed performance as it advanced to the dollar but weakened against most of its rivals. There have been no major reports out of the region yesterday but Brexit headlines dampened the outlook for the bloc. French final CPI and euro zone industrial production numbers are on tap today and strong figures could spur a rebound. ECB minutes are also due.
GBP
The pound was still one of the weakest performers even after BOE Governor Carney highlighted upbeat economic data and mentioned that the Brexit might not be the biggest risk to stability. UK data turned out mixed, as manufacturing production beat expectations with a 1.3% gain versus the projected 0.6% uptick while goods trade balance printed a wider 12.2 billion GBP deficit. There are no major reports lined up from the UK today.
CHF
The franc took advantage of dollar weakness but tossed and turned against its European counterparts. There were no reports out of Switzerland yesterday and none are due today so the franc could continue to react to country-specific updates or market sentiment.
JPY
The yen raked in more gains against its peers as the dollar’s slide left the Japanese currency as the more appealing safe-haven. Japan’s bank lending data and current account balance also came in stronger than expected, following the improvement in leading indicators and reminding traders of the BOJ’s GDP upgrade.
Commodity Currencies (AUD, NZD, CAD)
The comdolls rallied against the dollar and the European currencies even as US crude oil inventories reflected a larger than expected buildup of 4.1 million barrels. In New Zealand, commodity prices picked up by 0.7% in December. There are no major reports lined up from the commodity currencies.
By Kate Curtis from Trader’s Way
