Forex Major Currencies Outlook (Aug 26, 2015)

Data from the US came in mixed, with the CB consumer confidence index climbing from 91.0 to 101.5 and outpacing the consensus at 92.8. New home sales came in short of expectations but still showed a gain from 481K to 507K. Durable goods orders data is due today and a 0.4% decline in the headline figure is eyed while the core figure could show a 0.3% uptick. FOMC member Dudley is set to testify today and his remarks could influence Fed rate hike expectations.

EUR

The euro weakened slightly but soon resumed its bounce against its forex rivals when European equities showed gains. Data from the euro zone was better than expected, as Germany showed a climb from 108.0 to 108.3 in its Ifo business climate index instead of printing a decline to 107.6. There are no reports due from the euro zone today.

GBP

The pound gave up ground to the dollar but managed to regain ground against the commodity currencies. There have been no reports released from the UK yesterday while today has only medium-tier data on tap. BBA mortgage approvals and the CBI realized sales report are lined up, with strong readings likely to spur pound rallies.

CHF

The franc gave up ground to the dollar in recent trading sessions, despite Swiss data coming in line with expectations. The employment level climbed from 4.23M to 4.24M in the latest quarter, signaling jobs growth. There are no reports due from Switzerland today.

JPY

The yen continued to advance against its forex counterparts when risk appetite remained weak during the Asian trading session. Chinese and Japanese equities continued to chalk up losses, before the PBOC decided to announce an interest rate cut. There have been no reports released from Japan lately and none are due today, indicating that risk sentiment could continue to push yen pairs around.

Commodity Currencies (AUD, NZD, CAD)

The comdolls were still on weak footing yesterday, despite the rebounds that occurred for other major currencies. The PBOC announced an interest rate cut in order to keep the economy afloat, but this did very little to boost sentiment for the commodity currencies. In New Zealand, the trade deficit came in at 649 million NZD, wider than the previous 194 million NZD shortfall, signaling a decline in exports. US crude oil inventories are due today and a large oversupply could drive prices lower.

By Kate Curtis from Trader's Way