Forex Major Currencies Outlook (Jan 19, 2017)

CPI and industrial production reports came in line with consensus while Yellen praised the economy for moving closer to achieving the Fed's dual mandate of 2% inflation and full employment. She also mentioned that not hiking soon enough could force the Fed to tighten too aggressively, which increases the odds of a recession. Initial jobless claims, building permits and housing starts, and the Philly Fed index are all due today. 

EUR

The euro gave up ground to the dollar but advanced against the yen, Kiwi, and Loonie. Final CPI readings in the region were unchanged at 1.1% for the headline figure and 0.9% for the core figure. The ECB statement is coming up today and traders are interested to find out if the central bank is looking to taper its stimulus program anytime soon, given the recent improvements in data. 

GBP

The pound continued to advance against most of its peers when UK jobs figures surpassed expectations. The economy saw a 10.1K drop in joblessness instead of the estimated 4.6K increase in claimants. The previous reading was also upgraded while the average earnings index indicated a faster pace of wage growth at 2.8%. There are no major reports due from the UK economy today. 

CHF

The franc gave up ground to the dollar but managed to hold on to its lead against the pound and euro. There were no reports out of Switzerland yesterday while today has the PPI on tap. An increase of 0.2% in producer prices is eyed, stronger than the earlier 0.1% uptick. 

JPY

The yen was mostly weaker, except against the Loonie, as traders flocked back to the US dollar. There were no major reports out of the Japanese economy yesterday and none are due today so market sentiment could keep pushing yen pairs around. 

Commodity Currencies (AUD, NZD, CAD)

The comdolls were mostly able to stay resilient, except for the Loonie when the BOC statement took place. Governor Poloz mentioned that a rate cut is still a possibility if downside risks materialize, particularly when it comes to US tax changes and Trump's fiscal policy plans. Australia reported a higher than expected 13.5K increase in employment and an improvement in its participation rate. Crude oil inventories and Canadian manufacturing sales data are lined up next. 

By Kate Curtis from  Trader's Way