Forex Major Currencies Outlook (September 23, 2013)

This was enough to get dollar bulls riled up in anticipation of an Octaper event, which would push interest rates and the dollar higher. For today, there are no major reports due from the US. Only a speech by FOMC member Dudley, which might also spark volatility for dollar pairs, and the manufacturing PMI are up for release. 

EUR 

The euro gapped up against the dollar over the weekend on the wake of successful German elections. German Chancellor Angela Merkel held on to her position for the third term, although her Christian Democrats party was unable to secure a majority. This paves the way for a grand coalition to be formed and, if there are several challenges along the way, this might force the euro to return its recent gains. French and German PMIs are up for release today and another set of improvements could help the euro extend its gains. 

GBP 

The pound lost a bit of ground on Friday, as negative sentiment from Thursday’s retail sales release continued to drag the British currency down. Public sector net borrowing was lower than expected for the month but it was much higher than the previous month’s reading, as it showed that the government chalked up another deficit by spending more than what they earned. There are no major reports due from the UK today. 

CHF 

The Swiss franc was one of the major currencies that was able to hold steady against the Greenback’s rallies on Friday, as USD/CHF held on to the .9150 minor psychological support. Upbeat remarks from the SNB the previous day were enough to keep the currency supported until the end of the week. There are no reports lined up from Switzerland today so USD/CHF and EUR/CHF might be sensitive to U.S. and euro zone data. 

JPY 

The yen was able to hold on to its recent gains, as news updates revealed that Abe was looking at other alternatives to offset the sales tax increase. The prospect of additional stimulus from the BOJ could lead to more yen selling though so watch out for any updates on this issue. As for economic data, none are due from Japan today. 

Commodity Currencies (AUD, NZD, CAD) 

The comdolls gave up some of their recent wins to the dollar, as USD/CAD retreated to the 1.0300 handle on mixed inflation reports while NZD/USD pulled back below the .8400 mark. Chinese final manufacturing PMI came in stronger than expected this morning, adding to support for the Australian dollar and to speculations that China is starting to recover. No reports are due from the comdoll economies for the rest of the day. 

By Kate Curtis from Trader's Way