USD

The US dollar was slightly weaker on the day, possibly due to the JOLTS job openings decline.

The figure dropped from 5.53M to 5.38M instead of improving to the projected 5.59M reading. US crude oil inventories data is due today, but this could have a stronger impact on the Canadian dollar than the Greenback.

EUR

The euro enjoyed a return in bullish momentum following a day of consolidation after the ECB statement. Data from the region was actually weaker than expected, but it looks like traders are pricing in better economic performance later on since the ECB lowered deposit rates last week. Only the German trade balance is lined up today.

GBP

The pound was in a weak spot after the UK manufacturing production report showed a 0.4% decline, worse than the projected 0.1% drop. The Halifax HPI was also weaker than expected with a 0.1% drop instead of the expected 0.3% uptick. 

CHF

The franc advanced against most of its peers, trailing the euro in today’s trading sessions. There were no reports out of Switzerland yesterday and only the unemployment rate is due today. This could show a steady reading of 3.4%, which might support the franc ahead of the SNB decision later on.

JPY

The yen was a big winner during the risk-off environment, as its lower-yielding US dollar rival was weighed down by downbeat jobs indicators. Medium-tier data from Japan, namely the current account balance and Economy Watchers sentiment index, were weaker than expected but the final GDP reading was upgraded from -0.1% to 0.3%. Japanese core machinery orders data is due today.

Commodity Currencies (AUD, NZD, CAD)

The comdolls were still on weak footing, with the Loonie losing ground the most. BOC Governor Poloz mentioned in his latest testimony that the central bank has more policy tools to use more than zero interest rates, such as negative deposit rates or asset purchases. This kind of forward guidance drove the Loonie much lower, as oil prices didn’t show any signs of bottoming out. Chinese CPI data is due and a rise from 1.3% to 1.4% is expected. The RBNZ decision is coming up and some are expecting a 0.25% cut.

By Kate Curtis from Trader’s Way