USD

The US dollar regained a bit of ground against its forex peers as risk aversion returned to the markets. 

Data from the US economy was mixed yesterday, as the Fed Beige Book indicated that most districts saw modest economic growth and a pickup in consumer spending. Import prices posted a smaller than expected 0.2% uptick versus the projected 0.6% climb. Initial jobless claims and PPI are up for release today. 

EUR

The euro consolidated to the dollar and was mostly weaker against its other forex rivals as data from the euro zone missed expectations. Industrial production sank by 1.2% versus the projected 0.8% drop while the French final CPI posted a feeble 0.1% gain. There are no reports due from the euro zone today.

GBP

The pound resumed its drop against its forex peers as traders booked profits on Theresa May’s PM appointment. Traders are also positioning ahead of the BOE statement today, during which the UK central bank might cut interest rates from 0.5% to 0.25%. Still, some believe that the BOE might hold its fire for now and wait until next month to ease, possibly triggering a relief rally for the currency.

CHF

The franc had a mixed performance as it functioned mostly as a countercurrency. There were no reports out of the Swiss economy yesterday while today has the PPI on tap. Producer prices could show a 0.2% increase, slower than the previous 0.4% gain.

JPY

The yen paused from its dive as traders probably booked profits at key levels. Japan’s industrial production report suffered a downgrade to show a 2.6% year-over-year slide versus the projected upgrade from -2.3% to -2.2%. There are no reports due from Japan today.

Commodity Currencies (AUD, NZD, CAD)

The comdolls paused from their climb as risk-taking weakened. The BOC kept rates unchanged as expected but downgraded growth forecasts for this year and the next. Earlier today, Australia printed a smaller than expected rise in hiring of 7.9K versus the estimated 10.1K growth while the jobless rate rose from 5.7% to 5.8% as expected. There are no major reports lined up from the comdoll economies for the rest of the day.

By Kate Curtis from Trader’s Way