US Dollar afloat in the green ahead of JOLTS release


  • The US Dollar trades firmly in the green against its peers.
  • Equity markets are erasing their positive start of the week. 
  • The US Dollar Index jumps back above 104.00 and holds on to gains during European trading session. 

The US Dollar (USD) trades back in the green on Tuesday in an attempt to recoup Monday’s losses. The Greenback is rallying supported by substantial safe-haven inflows as most major equity markets are in the red. The move sparked during the Asian trading session, with the Indian Nifty index falling over 5%, as Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s victory appears to be narrower than what polls were predicting.  

On the economic front, all eyes are on some important indicators that could further confirm the slightly downbeat sentiment surrounding the US economy. The main event will be the US JOLTS Job Openings report for April. Although this is a lagging number, job openings have been decreasing for several months in a row and a further decline could further confirm the end of that US exceptionalism. 

Daily digest market movers: A JOLTS decline would set fire to the DXY

  • Just ahead of the US session the US Dollar remains strong on the quote board against its peers, with only safe havens Japanese Yen (USD/JPY) and Swiss Franc (USD/CHF) outpacing the Greenback in the broad risk off surge that is taking place ahead of the US numbers.
  • The Redbook Index for this already came out and was a touch softer at 5.8% against 6.3% last week.
  •  At 14:00 GMT, the JOLTS survey will be released.
    • Job Openings in April are expected to fall further to 8.34 million from 8.488 million a month earlier. 
    • Factory Orders for April are expected to increase 0.6% in April, slowing from the 1.6% rise seen in March. 
  • The TechnoMetrica Institute of Policy and Politics (TIPP) will release its Economic Optimism Index for June. The index is expected to increase to 45.2 from 41.8 in May. 
  • Equities are falling across the globe with the more than 5% sell-off in Indian equities. European indices are down near 1%, while US equity futures are losing less than 0.50%.
  • According to the CME Fedwatch Tool, Fed Fund futures pricing data suggests a 38.4% chance for keeping rates unchanged in September, against a 52.6% chance for a 25 basis points (bps) rate cut and a 8.9% chance for an even 50 bps rate cut. An interest rate hike is no longer considered an option since this week. For the upcoming meeting on June 12, futures are fully pricing in an unchanged result. 
  • The benchmark 10-year US Treasury Note trades around 4.35%, and trades close to the monthly low at 4.34%. 

US Dollar Index Technical Analysis: JOLTS to push DXY back up?

The US Dollar Index (DXY) is seeing Dollar bulls fighting with knives between their teeth. The DXY might be popping back up above 104.00 this Tuesday, but this would happen for all the wrong reasons. Simply because equities are heading lower, the US Dollar is seeing some safe-haven flows. The recent appreciation should not be seen in correlation with the recent softening in the US economy, which could still bring more easing in the Greenback over the coming weeks and months. 

On the upside, the DXY  first faces the double belt of resistance in the form of the 200-day Simple Moving Average (SMA) at 104.43 and the 100-day SMA at 104.42. Next up, the pivotal level near 104.60 comes into play. Topside for now is forming around 105.00, with the 55-day SMA at 105.00 and the peak from recent weeks at 105.12.

On the downside, the Greenback is trading in that air pocket area in which the 104.00 big figure looks to be holding. Once through there, another decline to first 103.50 and even 103.00  are the levels to watch. With the Relative Strength Index (RSI) still not trading in the oversold level, more downside room is still under consideration. 

Banking crisis FAQs

The Banking Crisis of March 2023 occurred when three US-based banks with heavy exposure to the tech-sector and crypto suffered a spike in withdrawals that revealed severe weaknesses in their balance sheets, resulting in their insolvency. The most high profile of the banks was California-based Silicon Valley Bank (SVB) which experienced a surge in withdrawal requests due to a combination of customers fearing fallout from the FTX debacle, and substantially higher returns being offered elsewhere.

In order to fulfill the redemptions, Silicon Valley Bank had to sell its holdings of predominantly US Treasury bonds. Due to the rise in interest rates caused by the Federal Reserve’s rapid tightening measures, however, Treasury bonds had substantially fallen in value. The news that SVB had taken a $1.8B loss from the sale of its bonds triggered a panic and precipitated a full scale run on the bank that ended with the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) having to take it over.The crisis spread to San-Francisco-based First Republic which ended up being rescued by a coordinated effort from a group of large US banks. On March 19, Credit Suisse in Switzerland fell foul after several years of poor performance and had to be taken over by UBS.

The Banking Crisis was negative for the US Dollar (USD) because it changed expectations about the future course of interest rates. Prior to the crisis investors had expected the Federal Reserve (Fed) to continue raising interest rates to combat persistently high inflation, however, once it became clear how much stress this was placing on the banking sector by devaluing bank holdings of US Treasury bonds, the expectation was the Fed would pause or even reverse its policy trajectory. Since higher interest rates are positive for the US Dollar, it fell as it discounted the possibility of a policy pivot.

The Banking Crisis was a bullish event for Gold. Firstly it benefited from demand due to its status as a safe-haven asset. Secondly, it led to investors expecting the Federal Reserve (Fed) to pause its aggressive rate-hiking policy, out of fear of the impact on the financial stability of the banking system – lower interest rate expectations reduced the opportunity cost of holding Gold. Thirdly, Gold, which is priced in US Dollars (XAU/USD), rose in value because the US Dollar weakened.

 

Share: Feed news

Information on these pages contains forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. Markets and instruments profiled on this page are for informational purposes only and should not in any way come across as a recommendation to buy or sell in these assets. You should do your own thorough research before making any investment decisions. FXStreet does not in any way guarantee that this information is free from mistakes, errors, or material misstatements. It also does not guarantee that this information is of a timely nature. Investing in Open Markets involves a great deal of risk, including the loss of all or a portion of your investment, as well as emotional distress. All risks, losses and costs associated with investing, including total loss of principal, are your responsibility. The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of FXStreet nor its advertisers. The author will not be held responsible for information that is found at the end of links posted on this page.

If not otherwise explicitly mentioned in the body of the article, at the time of writing, the author has no position in any stock mentioned in this article and no business relationship with any company mentioned. The author has not received compensation for writing this article, other than from FXStreet.

FXStreet and the author do not provide personalized recommendations. The author makes no representations as to the accuracy, completeness, or suitability of this information. FXStreet and the author will not be liable for any errors, omissions or any losses, injuries or damages arising from this information and its display or use. Errors and omissions excepted.

The author and FXStreet are not registered investment advisors and nothing in this article is intended to be investment advice.

Recommended content


Recommended content

Editors’ Picks

EUR/USD remains pressured below 1.0800 on renewed USD strength

EUR/USD remains pressured below 1.0800 on renewed USD strength

EUR/USD stays under pressure and declines toward 1.0750 following Thursday's recovery. A renewed US Dollar uptick and a cautious mood weigh on the pair, as traders digest the Trump win and the Federal Reserve's monetary policy announcements.

EUR/USD News
GBP/USD holds lower ground near 1.2950 amid tepid risk sentiment

GBP/USD holds lower ground near 1.2950 amid tepid risk sentiment

GBP/USD trades in negative territory at around 1.2950 in the second half of the day on Friday. The emergence of dip-buying in the US Dollar and a tepid risk tone undermine the pair. The BoE’s cautious rate cut could check the pair's downside as traders comments from central bankers.

GBP/USD News
Gold fluctuates below $2,700 amid stronger USD, positive risk tone

Gold fluctuates below $2,700 amid stronger USD, positive risk tone

Gold trades below $2,700 in the early American session on Friday and is pressured by a combination of factors. Hopes that Trump's policies would spur economic growth and inflation, to a larger extent, overshadow the Fed's dovish outlook, which, in turn, helps revive the USD demand.

Gold News
Week ahead – US CPI to shift market focus back to data after Trump shock

Week ahead – US CPI to shift market focus back to data after Trump shock

After Trump comeback, normality to return to markets with US CPI. GDP data from UK and Japan to also be important. But volatility to likely persist as markets assess impact of Trump. 

Read more
October’s US CPI rates to be the next big test for the greenback

October’s US CPI rates to be the next big test for the greenback

With the US elections being over, Trump getting elected and the Fed having released its interest rate decision, we take a look at what next week has in store for the markets. On the monetary front a number of policymakers from various central banks are scheduled to speak at some point or the other.

Read more
Best Forex Brokers with Low Spreads

Best Forex Brokers with Low Spreads

VERIFIED Low spreads are crucial for reducing trading costs. Explore top Forex brokers offering competitive spreads and high leverage. Compare options for EUR/USD, GBP/USD, USD/JPY, and Gold.

Read More

Forex MAJORS

Cryptocurrencies

Signatures