The US Dollar Index (DXY), which tracks the Greenback’s value against a basket of six major currencies, extends its advance on Monday, climbing back toward the ten-month highs reached earlier this month as demand for the US Dollar (USD) remains firm amid escalating tensions in the Middle East.
The British Pound (GBP) edges lower against the Japanese Yen (JPY) on Monday as the Yen strengthens across the board after Japanese authorities stepped up verbal intervention following USD/JPY’s move toward the 160.00 level, a threshold that has previously triggered official action.
West Texas Intermediate (WTI) US Crude Oil held above the $100 per barrel mark on Monday, trading in a wide intraday range that saw prices spike toward session highs near $101 before a sharp, short-lived dip back below $98.
The AUD/USD pair is trading with a bearish bias around the 0.6850 region on Monday, as markets react to fresh geopolitical developments and central bank expectations.
The British Pound (GBP) collapses on Monday as Middle East escalations push the US Dollar (USD) higher, while Oil prices extend their gains for the fourth consecutive trading day. At the time of writing, the GBP/USD trades at 1.3184, down by more than 0.50%, hitting a four-month low.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA) trades higher on Monday, adding back around 415 points in a thin recovery from last week's late plunge as President Donald Trump suggested a resolution to the war with Iran may be within reach. The S&P 500 rose 0.5% and the Nasdaq Composite gained 0.3%.
NZD/USD trades around 0.5715 on Monday, down 0.60% on the day at the time of writing, after falling earlier to its lowest level since November near 0.5700. The pair remains under heavy pressure as the US Dollar (USD) strengthens amid rising geopolitical tensions and a cautious market environment.
ING’s Frantisek Taborsky expects a risk-off tone in CEE markets as higher Oil prices and geopolitical tensions test already elevated central bank hike pricing.
Gold (XAU/USD) struggles to gain traction on Monday, trimming part of its earlier gains as escalating tensions in the Middle East and shifting interest rate expectations keep markets volatile.
USD/JPY retreats on Monday and trades around 159.60 at the time of writing, down 0.44% on the day, after reaching a nearly 20-month high above 160.00 earlier in the day. The move lower follows renewed warnings from Japanese authorities about potential intervention in the foreign exchange market.
EUR/USD extends its losses on Monday, slipping back below the 1.1500 psychological mark as a broadly stronger US Dollar (USD) keeps the Euro (EUR) under pressure. At the time of writing, the pair trades near 1.1444, remaining on the back foot for a fifth consecutive day.
Societe Generale economists expect Euro area headline inflation to rise sharply in March, driven by higher energy costs, while core inflation eases slightly.
