Forex Major Currencies Outlook (Jan 24, 2017)

The new President has signed an executive order quitting TPP and halting federal hiring while discussing his plans to renegotiate NAFTA with Mexico and Canada. Treasury Secretary nominee Mnuchin warned against excessive USD appreciation which would be negative in the short term. US flash manufacturing PMI, existing home sales, and Richmond manufacturing index are due next but the spotlight is likely to stay on Trump. 

EUR

The euro had a mixed performance as it advanced to the dollar and Loonie while sinking to the yen, Aussie, and Kiwi. There were no major reports out of the euro zone yesterday while today has the flash manufacturing and services PMIs on tap. A slight dip in the manufacturing sector is eyed while services could continue to pick up. 

GBP

The pound also raked in some gains but its rallies were limited by the upcoming event risk. The UK High Court ruling on the need to secure parliamentary approval before invoking Article 50 is up for release today, and this could determine how long the UK economy will be in limbo. UK public sector net borrowing data is also due. 

CHF

The franc kept advancing to the dollar but was still stuck in consolidation to the euro. There were no reports out of the Swiss economy yesterday while today also has an empty economic schedule, which suggests that the franc could react to country-specific events and overall market sentiment. 

JPY

The yen remained the beneficiary of risk-off moves particularly during the Asian session. Data from Japan was better than expected today, as the flash manufacturing PMI climbed from an upgraded 52.4 figure to 52.8 to reflect a faster pace of industry growth instead of dipping to 52.3.  

Commodity Currencies (AUD, NZD, CAD)

The Loonie was the weakest of the bunch as Trump's plans to negotiate NAFTA could have repercussions on Canada's exports. Wholesale sales came in slightly below estimates with a 0.2% uptick versus the projected 0.3% gain. Australia's CB and MI leading indices are due next. 

By Kate Curtis from Trader's Way