US Dollar struggles to find demand despite positive GDP revisions, eyes on PCE figures

The DXY Index is bearing a slight uptick, lingering nearing three-month lows.
US annualized Q3 GDP estimate was revised upward to 5.2%.
The Fed's Beige book report noted that economic activity slowed down up to mid-November.
Markets await October Core PCE inflation on Thursday.

The US Dollar (USD) Index (DXY) is seeing modest growth, trading at 102.70 on Wednesday. The DXY found traction due to robust revisions in Gross Domestic Product (GDP) figures for Q3 arriving before Thursday's Personal Consumption Expenditures (PCE) inflation data for October. The Greenback is also getting interest on the back of hawkish words from Federal Reserve’s (Fed) Thomas Barkin, who did not rule out another hike this cycle.

Despite the mixed labour market and cooling inflation, Fed officials aren't excluding the possibility of further policy tightening, thereby adopting a slightly hawkish stance. This seems to be an attempt to prevent any potential inflation slips and reflects the delicate balance the central bank is trying to maintain. That being said, it will come down to the incoming data, and Thursday’s PCE figures from October will have an impact on expectations for coming Fed decisions.

Daily Market Movers: US Dollar rises on strong GDP revisions and hawkish words from Thomas Barkin

Amid optimism of a soft landing, the US Dollar trades with mild gains today. The driving factors are the revised Q3 GDP data.
The GDP was revised to 5.2%, surpassing the consensus estimate of 5% and the previous estimate of 4.9%.
The Federal Reserve's Beige book, which gives insights on the US economic activity, reported that up to mid-November, the US economy slowed down while the labor demand and inflationary pressures eased.
Elsewhere, Thomas Barkin from the Fed stated that he is not confident that inflation is on track to reach the bank’s 2% target, and he didn’t rule out another rate hike.
Meanwhile, US Treasury yields are currently dipping but trimmed some of the daily declines. The 2-year, 5-year and 10-year yields stand at 4.65%, 4.21% and 4.27%, respectively.
Markets await Thursday’s Core PCE figures from October, the Fed’s preferred inflation gauge, which is expected to have decelerated to 3.5% YoY from 3.7% in September.
Meanwhile, the CME FedWatch Tool suggests that the Fed won’t hike in the December meeting, and the markets are foreseeing rate cuts beginning in May 2024.

Technical Analysis: US Dollar under bearish pressure, RSI in oversold territory

Indicators on the daily chart are painting a bearish picture for the US Dollar. The Relative Strength Index (RSI) position suggests an overwhelming selling momentum standing flat at 30. Concurrently, the Moving Average Convergence Divergence (MACD) histogram displays a descending trajectory indicative of ongoing bearishness. The bear control is further affirmed by the currency's position in relation to the Simple Moving Averages (SMAs).

On a broader scale, the asset is trading beneath the 20, 100 and 200-day SMAs, underlining the prevailing strength of the bears. In this challenging scenario, buying momentum is noticeably struggling. These technical signals derived from the RSI, MACD and SMAs collectively point toward continued bearish dominance for the US Dollar in the immediate term.

Support levels: 102.50, 102.30, 102.00.
Resistance levels: 103.60 (200-day SMA), 104.00, 104.20 (100-day SMA)

Fed FAQs

What does the Federal Reserve do, how does it impact the US Dollar?

Monetary policy in the US is shaped by the Federal Reserve (Fed). The Fed has two mandates: to achieve price stability and foster full employment. Its primary tool to achieve these goals is by adjusting interest rates.
When prices are rising too quickly and inflation is above the Fed’s 2% target, it raises interest rates, increasing borrowing costs throughout the economy. This results in a stronger US Dollar (USD) as it makes the US a more attractive place for international investors to park their money.
When inflation falls below 2% or the Unemployment Rate is too high, the Fed may lower interest rates to encourage borrowing, which weighs on the Greenback.

How often does the Fed hold monetary policy meetings?

The Federal Reserve (Fed) holds eight policy meetings a year, where the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) assesses economic conditions and makes monetary policy decisions.
The FOMC is attended by twelve Fed officials – the seven members of the Board of Governors, the president of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, and four of the remaining eleven regional Reserve Bank presidents, who serve one-year terms on a rotating basis.

What is Quantitative Easing (QE) and how does it impact USD?

In extreme situations, the Federal Reserve may resort to a policy named 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 during crises or when inflation is extremely low. It was the Fed’s weapon of choice during the Great Financial Crisis in 2008. It involves the Fed printing more Dollars and using them to buy high grade bonds from financial institutions. QE usually weakens the US Dollar.

What is Quantitative Tightening (QT) and how does it impact the US Dollar?

Quantitative tightening (QT) is the reverse process of QE, whereby the Federal Reserve stops buying bonds from financial institutions and does not reinvest the principal from the bonds it holds maturing, to purchase new bonds. It is usually positive for the value of the US Dollar.

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