Home Daily Commentaries DXY drops slightly amid low small business index data

DXY drops slightly amid low small business index data

Daily Currency Update

The US Dollar Index (DXY) was down slightly today at 105.82 amid the release of the National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB) small business index, which came in slightly lower than forecasted at 90.8. New York Federal Reserve’s head of monetary policy Roberto Perli noted that Fed spending still has a ways to go and the US needs to slow or stop their spending saying, “…we remain cognizant of the risks and uncertainties ahead.” Federal Reserve member Christopher Waller is set to deliver a speech discussing "The Evolution of Monetary Policy" today at the Mercatus Center at George Mason University Conference in Washington DC.

Key Movers

In Australian news, the National Australia Bank (NAB) business confidence data came in the same as the previous level at 1. This index is a leading indicator of economic health. As businesses react quickly to market conditions and changes in their sentiment can be an early signal of future economic activity such as spending, hiring, and investment. The AUD/USD rate didn't move strongly in one direction or another since the business confidence level stayed the same as previous months. The AUD/USD pair traded near the 0.6411 level.

In the Eurozone, month-over-month Italian industrial production came in higher than expected at 0.2% versus the -0.3% drop analysts were forecasting. This is one of the leading indicators of economic health. The EUR/USD rate edged above 1.06, the best level in around two weeks. The European Central Bank (ECB) Governor Robert Holzmann noted in an interview that interest rates could be tightened more in the future.

Expected Ranges

  • EUR/USD: 1.0559 - 1.0613 ▲
  • GBP/USD: 1.2213 - 1.2275 ▲
  • AUD/USD: 0.6392 - 0.6434 ▲
  • USD/CAD: 1.3565 - 1.3617 ▲