US Dollar extends consolidation as labor market data looms
- The US Dollar trades slightly in the green against almost every major currency.
- US markets open up after the Labor Day holiday and gear up for ISM PMI data.
- The US Dollar Index has an important resistance level within reach for a breakout.
The US Dollar (USD) trades broadly stable on Tuesday as it officially starts its trading week after US markets were closed on Monday for Labor Day. The Greenback is slightly up against almost every major currency on the quote board, except for the Japanese Yen (JPY). Meanwhile, markets tremble a little bit on the back of news that German car maker Volkswagen is considering closing factories in its home country for the first time ever, which is a massive blow to the German government and the European economy.
Tuesday’s economic calendar features the Institute for Supply Management (ISM) Manufacturing survey for August. Traders will get to see how the US manufacturing sector is holding up. Seeing the recent headlines out of Germany, a clear split between the two nations could drive the DXY higher.
Daily digest market movers: Catching up after the holiday
- At 13:45 GMT, S&P Global will release its final Manufacturing number from the Purchasing Managers Index for August. The preliminary reading stood at 48 and it isn’t expected to be revised.
- At 14:00 GMT, the Institute for Supply Management (ISM) will release its Manufacturing numbers for August:
- The headline PMI is expected to head to 47.5 from 46.8.
- The Prices Paid component should head to 52.5 from 52.9.
- The New Orders index stood at 47.4 in July, and the Employment Index was at 43.4.
- Apart from the ISM, the TechnoMetrica Institute of Policy and Politics (TIPP) will release its economic Optimism survey for September. The previous reading was at 44.5 with 46.2 expected.
- Equities are struggling across the board, with minor losses for all European indices and US futures on the back foot as well.
- The CME Fedwatch Tool shows a 69.0% chance of a 25 basis points (bps) interest rate cut by the Fed in September against a 31.0% chance for a 50 bps cut. Another 25 bps cut (if September is a 25 bps cut) is expected in November by 49.9%, while there is a 41.5% chance that rates will be 75 bps (25 bps + 50 bps) below the current levels and an 8.6% probability of rates being 100 (25 bps + 75 bps) basis points lower.
- The US 10-year benchmark rate trades at 3.90%, slightly down on the day after opening at 3.93%.
Economic Indicator
ISM Manufacturing PMI
The Institute for Supply Management (ISM) Manufacturing Purchasing Managers Index (PMI), released on a monthly basis, is a leading indicator gauging business activity in the US manufacturing sector. The indicator is obtained from a survey of manufacturing supply executives based on information they have collected within their respective organizations. Survey responses reflect the change, if any, in the current month compared to the previous month. A reading above 50 indicates that the manufacturing economy is generally expanding, a bullish sign for the US Dollar (USD). A reading below 50 signals that factory activity is generally declining, which is seen as bearish for USD.
Read more.Next release: Tue Sep 03, 2024 14:00
Frequency: Monthly
Consensus: 47.5
Previous: 46.8
Source: Institute for Supply Management
The Institute for Supply Management’s (ISM) Manufacturing Purchasing Managers Index (PMI) provides a reliable outlook on the state of the US manufacturing sector. A reading above 50 suggests that the business activity expanded during the survey period and vice versa. PMIs are considered to be leading indicators and could signal a shift in the economic cycle. Stronger-than-expected prints usually have a positive impact on the USD. In addition to the headline PMI, the Employment Index and the Prices Paid Index numbers are watched closely as they shine a light on the labour market and inflation.
US Dollar Index Technical Analysis: Next step
The US Dollar Index (DXY) is at a crossroads this Tuesday, when the ISM numbers might be moving the DXY either above a pivotal resistance or trigger a firm rejection and send it back down. Expect to see a very whipsaw DXY on the charts this week with nearly every trading day bearing substantial economic data points.
Looking up, 101.90 is very close and could easily be broken should ISM come in stronger. A steep 2% uprising would be needed to get the index to 103.18. A very heavy resistance level near 104.00 not only holds a pivotal technical value, but it also bears the 200-day Simple Moving Average (SMA) as the second heavyweight to cap price action.
On the downside, 100.62 (the low from December 28) holds as support, although it looks rather feeble. Should it break, the low from July 14, 2023, at 99.58 will be the ultimate level to look out for. Once that level gives way, early levels from 2023 are coming in near 97.73.
US Dollar Index: Daily Chart
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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