Get 40% Off
🤯 This Tech Portfolio is up 29% YTD! Join Now to Get April’s Top PicksGet The Picks – Just 99 USD

Dollar moderately higher as markets prepare for Fed

Published 17/12/2015, 02:50 am
Updated 17/12/2015, 02:58 am
© Reuters.  Dollar holds modest gains ahead of Fed policy decision

© Reuters. Dollar holds modest gains ahead of Fed policy decision

Investing.com - The dollar was moderately higher against the other major currencies on Wednesday, after the release of strong U.S. housing sector data, as investors grew cautious ahead of the Federal Reserve's highly anticipated policy decision due later in the day.

USD/JPY was up 0.16% at 121.87.

The U.S. Commerce Department said that housing starts jumped 10.5% to hit 1.173 million units last month from October’s total of 1.062 million units. Analysts had expected a rise 6.6% to 1.135 million.

Meanwhile, the number of building permits issued rose by 11.0% to 1.289 million units from October’s total of 1.161 million, easily surpassing market expectations for a decline of 1.0% to 1.150 million units.

A separate report showed that U.S. industrial production decreased 0.6% last month, disappointing expectations for a decline of 0.1

Most investors expect the U.S. central bank to raise interest rates for the first time since June 2006 at the conclusion of its meeting on Wednesday.

EUR/USD was steady at 1.0925, off session lows of 1.0913.

Eurostat reported earlier that euro zone consumer price inflation rose 0.2% last month, up from a preliminary estimate of 0.1%. Euro zone inflation rose by 0.1% in October.

The rate has now been below 1% for 26 straight months, well under the European Central Bank's target of near but just under 2%.

The report came after research group Markit said its Flash Euro Zone Composite Output Index, which measures the combined output of both the manufacturing and service sectors, eased down from 54.2 in November to 54.0 in December, below forecasts for 54.2.

Earlier Wednesday, Markit said its preliminary German manufacturing PMI inched up to 53.0 this month from a final reading of 52.9 in November, while the preliminary services PMI dipped to 55.4 from 55.6.

Elsewhere, the dollar remained higher against the pound, with GBP/USD down 0.24% at 1.4999, while USD/CHF dropped 0.47% to 0.9868.

Sterling weakened after the Office for National Statistics said average earnings, excluding bonuses, rose just 2.0% in the three months to October, slowing from growth of 2.4% in the previous month.

Wages, including bonuses, rose 2.4% down from 3.0% in the previous month.

The U.K. unemployment rate fell to 5.2%, the lowest level since January 2006, from 5.3% in the three months to September.

The number of people unemployed fell by 110,000, the biggest decline since the three months to September of last year, the ONS said.

The Australian dollar edged higher, with AUD/USD up 0.09% at 0.7199, while NZD/USD held steady at 0.6763.

Meanwhile, USD/CAD climbed 0.60% to trade at a fresh 11-1/2 year high of 1.3815.

The U.S. dollar index, which measures the greenback’s strength against a trade-weighted basket of six major currencies, was up 0.10% at 98.30.

Latest comments

Risk Disclosure: Trading in financial instruments and/or cryptocurrencies involves high risks including the risk of losing some, or all, of your investment amount, and may not be suitable for all investors. Prices of cryptocurrencies are extremely volatile and may be affected by external factors such as financial, regulatory or political events. Trading on margin increases the financial risks.
Before deciding to trade in financial instrument or cryptocurrencies you should be fully informed of the risks and costs associated with trading the financial markets, carefully consider your investment objectives, level of experience, and risk appetite, and seek professional advice where needed.
Fusion Media would like to remind you that the data contained in this website is not necessarily real-time nor accurate. The data and prices on the website are not necessarily provided by any market or exchange, but may be provided by market makers, and so prices may not be accurate and may differ from the actual price at any given market, meaning prices are indicative and not appropriate for trading purposes. Fusion Media and any provider of the data contained in this website will not accept liability for any loss or damage as a result of your trading, or your reliance on the information contained within this website.
It is prohibited to use, store, reproduce, display, modify, transmit or distribute the data contained in this website without the explicit prior written permission of Fusion Media and/or the data provider. All intellectual property rights are reserved by the providers and/or the exchange providing the data contained in this website.
Fusion Media may be compensated by the advertisers that appear on the website, based on your interaction with the advertisements or advertisers.
© 2007-2024 - Fusion Media Limited. All Rights Reserved.