Forex Major Currencies Outlook (Dec 19, 2017)

The NAHB housing market index jumped from 69 to 74 instead of just merely advancing to the consensus at 70. Lawmakers are set to vote on the tax bill this week and Trump might be able to sign it into law by the end of the week if approved. US current account, along with building permits and housing starts, are lined up today. 

EUR 

The euro rallied and reversed as the Italian trade balance printed stronger than expected results but the final CPI readings were unchanged. Today has the German Ifo business climate index due and an uptick from 117.5 to 117.6 is expected. 

GBP 

The pound was also unable to hold on to most of its intraday gains, but it's worth noting that the CBI industrial order expectations index held steady at 17 instead of falling to 14. There are no major reports due from the UK today so the focus could remain on Brexit updates and how this could keep the future uncertain for UK businesses. 

CHF 

The franc was one of the bigger winners for the day as it even managed to chalk up gains to the dollar. There were no reports out of the Swiss economy then and none are due today so market sentiment and currency-specific action might still push franc pairs around. 

JPY 

The yen was trading a bit more carefully as traders are probably positioning ahead of the BOJ statement later this week. For today, there are no major reports lined up so yen pairs might wait for cues from market sentiment or currency-specific factors. 

Commodity Currencies (AUD, NZD, CAD) 

The Aussie remained supported as the RBA minutes indicated why the central bank was no longer as dovish as before, but weaker gold prices on risk-taking took back some of the currency's gains. Crude oil prices also stayed afloat on account of the recent pipeline shutdown. In New Zealand, the ANZ business confidence index improved slightly from -39.3 to -37.8. 

By Kate Curtis from Trader's Way