Forex Major Currencies Outlook (Dec 08, 2016)

It chalked up a mixed performance, advancing to the pound but giving up ground to the yen and commodity currencies. JOLTS job openings fell from 5.63M to 5.53M and initial jobless claims data is due today.

EUR

The euro tried to stay afloat but was no match to comdoll strength. German industrial production missed forecasts and printed a 0.3% uptick versus the projected 0.9% gain while France reported a larger than expected trade deficit. The ECB statement is due today and an extension of their QE program is expected.

GBP

The pound slid against its peers on downbeat manufacturing and industrial production figures. The former fell by 0.9% versus the projected 0.2% increase while the latter chalked up a 1.3% drop instead of the estimated 0.2% gain. UK Supreme Court hearings have also been weighing on the pound and could continue to influence price action for today. 

CHF

The franc took advantage of pound and dollar weakness but was no match to euro strength. Swiss foreign currency reserves rose from 630B CHF to 648B CHF to reflect a rise in holdings against the franc but not enough to signal intervention. There are no reports due from the Swiss economy today.

JPY

The yen was able to chalk up some gains against the dollar and the pound recently, although the uptrend among yen pairs remains mostly intact. Economic data from Japan was mixed, as the final GDP reading was cut in half from 0.6% to 0.3% while the current account surplus beat expectations. The Economy Watchers sentiment index is due next.

Commodity Currencies (AUD, NZD, CAD)

The comdolls were big winners for the day, even as Australia reported a surprise 0.5% contraction in Q3. The BOC kept rates unchanged as expected while RBNZ head Wheeler indicated less concern about Kiwi strength, citing that they will probably keep rates unchanged for quite some time. Australia's trade balance missed forecasts while China reported a smaller surplus even as both imports and exports gained.

By Kate Curtis from Trader's Way