US Dollar Index remains below 104.50 as traders await the US PCE Price Index
- The US Dollar edges lower due to improved risk sentiment ahead of the US PCE inflation release.
- Improved US Treasury yields could provide support for the Greenback.
- Stronger US economic data have reduced the Fed’s rate cut expectations for September.
The US Dollar Index (DXY), which measures the value of the US Dollar (USD) against six other major currencies, retraces its recent gains ahead of the release of the US Personal Consumption Expenditures (PCE) Price Index for June. The DXY trades around 104.30 during the Asian session on Friday.
The downside of the US Dollar could be limited due to improved US Treasury yields. 2-year and 10-year yields on US Treasury bonds stand at 4.35% and 4.24%, respectively, at the time of writing. Stronger US economic data have reduced some rate cut expectations for September, which might provide support for the Greenback.
According to CME Group’s FedWatch Tool, markets now indicate an 88.6% probability of a 25-basis point rate cut at the September Fed meeting, down from 94.0% a week earlier.
On Thursday, the US Gross Domestic Product (GDP) for the second quarter (Q2) was stronger than expected. This follows Wednesday’s US PMI data, which indicated a faster expansion in private-sector activity for July, highlighting the resilience of US growth despite elevated interest rates.
The US GDP increased at an annualized rate of 2.8%, seasonally and inflation-adjusted, which is an improvement from the prior 1.4% reading and exceeds the 2% forecast. Furthermore, the Composite PMI climbed to 55.0 from 54.8, reaching its highest level since April 2022 and reflecting consistent growth over the past 18 months.
Bank of America suggests that the robust economic growth in the United States enables the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) to "afford to wait" before implementing any changes. The bank asserts that the economy "remains on solid ground" and continues to anticipate that the Fed will begin to lower rates in December.
US Dollar PRICE Today
The table below shows the percentage change of US Dollar (USD) against listed major currencies today. US Dollar was the weakest against the Australian Dollar.
| USD | EUR | GBP | JPY | CAD | AUD | NZD | CHF | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| USD | -0.06% | -0.08% | -0.18% | -0.08% | -0.23% | -0.07% | -0.01% | |
| EUR | 0.06% | -0.02% | -0.13% | -0.01% | -0.17% | 0.02% | 0.06% | |
| GBP | 0.08% | 0.02% | -0.12% | 0.00% | -0.16% | 0.02% | 0.07% | |
| JPY | 0.18% | 0.13% | 0.12% | 0.08% | -0.04% | 0.11% | 0.19% | |
| CAD | 0.08% | 0.01% | -0.01% | -0.08% | -0.16% | 0.00% | 0.07% | |
| AUD | 0.23% | 0.17% | 0.16% | 0.04% | 0.16% | 0.18% | 0.25% | |
| NZD | 0.07% | -0.02% | -0.02% | -0.11% | -0.01% | -0.18% | 0.06% | |
| CHF | 0.00% | -0.06% | -0.07% | -0.19% | -0.07% | -0.25% | -0.06% |
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).
US Dollar FAQs
The US Dollar (USD) is the official currency of the United States of America, and the ‘de facto’ currency of a significant number of other countries where it is found in circulation alongside local notes. It is the most heavily traded currency in the world, accounting for over 88% of all global foreign exchange turnover, or an average of $6.6 trillion in transactions per day, according to data from 2022. Following the second world war, the USD took over from the British Pound as the world’s reserve currency. For most of its history, the US Dollar was backed by Gold, until the Bretton Woods Agreement in 1971 when the Gold Standard went away.
The most important single factor impacting on the value of the US Dollar is monetary policy, which is shaped by the Federal Reserve (Fed). The Fed has two mandates: to achieve price stability (control inflation) and foster full employment. Its primary tool to achieve these two goals is by adjusting interest rates. When prices are rising too quickly and inflation is above the Fed’s 2% target, the Fed will raise rates, which helps the USD value. When inflation falls below 2% or the Unemployment Rate is too high, the Fed may lower interest rates, which weighs on the Greenback.
In extreme situations, the Federal Reserve can also print more Dollars and enact quantitative easing (QE). QE is the process by which the Fed substantially increases the flow of credit in a stuck financial system. It is a non-standard policy measure used when credit has dried up because banks will not lend to each other (out of the fear of counterparty default). It is a last resort when simply lowering interest rates is unlikely to achieve the necessary result. It was the Fed’s weapon of choice to combat the credit crunch that occurred during the Great Financial Crisis in 2008. It involves the Fed printing more Dollars and using them to buy US government bonds predominantly from financial institutions. QE usually leads to a weaker US Dollar.
Quantitative tightening (QT) is the reverse process whereby the Federal Reserve stops buying bonds from financial institutions and does not reinvest the principal from the bonds it holds maturing in new purchases. It is usually positive for the US Dollar.
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