• US Durable Goods Orders declined sharply in May, as expected.
• US Dollar Index stays flat on the day, slightly above 101.50.

Durable Goods Orders in the United States (US) declined by 4.5%, or $15.6 billion, in May to $332.1 billion, the US Census Bureau reported on Thursday. This reading followed the 8.5% increase recorded in April and came in line with the market expectation.

"Excluding transportation, new orders increased 1.3 percent," the press releases noted. "Excluding defense, new orders decreased 4.6 percent. Transportation equipment, also down following two consecutive monthly increases, drove the decrease, $18.5 billion or 14.0 percent to $113.5 billion."

Market reaction

The US Dollar Index retreats from session highs and was last seen trading flat on the day at 101.57.