Forex Major Currencies Outlook (Mar 18, 2016)

Only medium-tier reports were released from the US and these came in mostly stronger than expected with the exception of the current account balance. For today, the preliminary UoM consumer sentiment index is due, along with some speeches from FOMC officials. 

EUR

The euro was able to squeeze out more gains yesterday when the final core CPI reading for the region was upgraded from 0.7% to 0.8%. ECB Governor Draghi also had a few optimistic remarks about seeing improvements in the economy during his testimony in Brussels. Only the German PPI is up for release from the euro zone today and a 0.2% decline in producer prices is eyed. 

GBP

The pound made a strong rally after the BOE statement when policymakers decided to keep interest rates and asset purchases on hold. The minutes seemed less dovish than expected, as officials didn't take the opportunity to jawbone the currency or give more downbeat comments. Still, policymakers noted that Brexit concerns are preventing them from making any adjustments in the near future. There are no major reports due from the UK today. 

CHF

The franc was able to score some wins against the euro and the US dollar, despite weaker than expected Swiss PPI. Producer prices fell 0.6% instead of showing the projected 0.2% uptick. There are no reports due from the Swiss economy today. 

JPY

Yen pairs had a sudden bout of volatility at the start of the US session but it's not clear what caused the quick moves. There were no major reports out of Japan yesterday and today had the BOJ meeting minutes lined up.

Commodity Currencies (AUD, NZD, CAD)

The comdolls consolidated to the dollar and returned some of their recent wins to the pound and euro. Australia's jobs data missed expectations with a meager 0.8K gain in hiring versus the projected 11.6K increase, although the jobless rate dropped to 5.8%. Canadian wholesale sales was also weaker than expected at 0.0% versus the projected 0.3% gain. Canada's CPI and retail sales figures are due today.

By Kate Curtis from Trader's Way