Forex Major Currencies Outlook (Sep 08, 2017)

There has been increased talk of tax reform from politicians but equities appear to be shrugging these off as well. Data has been mostly downbeat, with initial jobless claims rising to 298K and the quarterly non-farm productivity reading revised from 1.3% to 1.5%. Unit labor costs for the same period were downgraded also. FOMC member Harker's testimony and US final inventories data are due next. 

EUR 

The euro had a volatile run during the ECB decision and presser as the central bank kept policy unchanged as expected but signaled room for further easing if needed. During the press conference, Draghi also attempted to jawbone the euro but admitted that they've already started preliminary discussions on QE adjustments. German trade balance and French industrial production numbers are due next. 

GBP 

The pound was able to stay afloat as the Halifax HPI report printed a higher than expected 1.1% gain in house prices versus the estimated 0.2% uptick while the previous reading was upgraded to show a 0.7% gain. UK manufacturing and industrial production, along with goods trade balance, are up for release today and upbeat figures could allow the pound to gain more ground. 

CHF 

The franc was able to rebound against the US dollar but was mostly weaker against its other counterparts. SNB foreign currency reserves increased from 715B CHF to 717B CHF to keep investors wary of SNB intervention. The Swiss jobless rate is due today and no change from the previous 3.2% figure is eyed. 

JPY 

The Japanese yen recovered lost ground to the dollar and some of its rivals as risk aversion still lingered in the markets. Japan is set to print its revised GDP and current account balance today, with the former expecting a downgrade from 1.0% to 0.7% and the latter eyeing a larger surplus of 1.65T JPY. 

Commodity Currencies (AUD, NZD, CAD) 

The Loonie was able to catch more gains even though data from Canada missed expectations. The Ivey PMI fell from 60.0 to 56.3 to reflect slower industry growth while building permits slumped by 3.5% versus the projected 1.5% decline. New Zealand is set to print its manufacturing sales report next while RBA officials Lowe and Debelle have speeches lined up. Canada's jobs report is also due and a stronger increase in employment of 17.8K is expected. 

By Kate Curtis from Trader's Way