FX Today: Hasset leaves the spotlight, weaker USD

What to look out for on Tuesday, December 16th:

US Dollar Price Today

The table below shows the percentage change of US Dollar (USD) against listed major currencies today. US Dollar was the strongest against the New Zealand Dollar.

	USD	EUR	GBP	JPY	CAD	AUD	NZD	CHF
USD		-0.02%	0.01%	-0.33%	0.10%	0.22%	0.28%	0.11%
EUR	0.02%		0.03%	-0.33%	0.11%	0.25%	0.30%	0.12%
GBP	-0.01%	-0.03%		-0.33%	0.08%	0.20%	0.26%	0.09%
JPY	0.33%	0.33%	0.33%		0.44%	0.55%	0.62%	0.44%
CAD	-0.10%	-0.11%	-0.08%	-0.44%		0.12%	0.17%	0.00%
AUD	-0.22%	-0.25%	-0.20%	-0.55%	-0.12%		0.06%	-0.14%
NZD	-0.28%	-0.30%	-0.26%	-0.62%	-0.17%	-0.06%		-0.17%
CHF	-0.11%	-0.12%	-0.09%	-0.44%	-0.01%	0.14%	0.17%

The heat map shows percentage changes of major currencies against each other. The base currency is picked from the left column, while the quote currency is picked from the top row. For example, if you pick the US Dollar from the left column and move along the horizontal line to the Japanese Yen, the percentage change displayed in the box will represent USD (base)/JPY (quote).

Kevin Hassett, President Donald Trump's preferred candidate to replace Jerome Powell as Chair of the Federal Reserve (Fed), is facing opposition from senior Trump advisers, according to sources familiar with the situation. This pushback reportedly stems from concerns that Hassett is "too close" to the president. Meanwhile, another candidate, former Federal Reserve Governor Kevin Warsh, has begun to gain more attention and support.

Forecasting the week: A key week with US CPI, NFP, PMIs, and plenty of central bank activity. The US Bureau of Labor Statistics will publish the Nonfarm Payrolls (NFP) data for November and part of the October report on Tuesday.

USD/CAD holds steady above 1.3780 to close out the American session. The Canadian Consumer Price Index (CPI) annualized at 2.2%, the same number as last month’s report, and lower than the 2.4% expected.

EUR/USD The pair is still in a consolidation phase, nearing 1.1740, closing the American session on Monday. On Thursday, the European Central Bank (ECB) will announce its monetary policy decision.

USD/JPY Japanese firms cited easing uncertainty around US trade policy and resilient demand in high-tech sectors as key factors supporting business sentiment, according to comments from a senior Bank of Japan (BoJ) official on the Tankan survey. After posting marginal gains the previous week, the pair trades near 155.30, recovering some of the losses incurred during Asian/European trading hours.

Gold clings to a bullish stance near $4310, but cut some of its intraday gains after trading close to a two-month high at $4350.

GBP/USD is trading on a red note near the 1.3360 region on Monday. The Bank of England (BoE) will announce its interest rate decision on Thursday.

Fed FAQs

What does the Federal Reserve do, how does it impact the US Dollar?

Monetary policy in the US is shaped by the Federal Reserve (Fed). The Fed has two mandates: to achieve price stability and foster full employment. Its primary tool to achieve these goals is by adjusting interest rates. When prices are rising too quickly and inflation is above the Fed’s 2% target, it raises interest rates, increasing borrowing costs throughout the economy. This results in a stronger US Dollar (USD) as it makes the US a more attractive place for international investors to park their money. When inflation falls below 2% or the Unemployment Rate is too high, the Fed may lower interest rates to encourage borrowing, which weighs on the Greenback.

How often does the Fed hold monetary policy meetings?

The Federal Reserve (Fed) holds eight policy meetings a year, where the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) assesses economic conditions and makes monetary policy decisions. The FOMC is attended by twelve Fed officials – the seven members of the Board of Governors, the president of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, and four of the remaining eleven regional Reserve Bank presidents, who serve one-year terms on a rotating basis.

What is Quantitative Easing (QE) and how does it impact USD?

In extreme situations, the Federal Reserve may resort to a policy named Quantitative Easing (QE). QE is the process by which the Fed substantially increases the flow of credit in a stuck financial system. It is a non-standard policy measure used during crises or when inflation is extremely low. It was the Fed’s weapon of choice during the Great Financial Crisis in 2008. It involves the Fed printing more Dollars and using them to buy high grade bonds from financial institutions. QE usually weakens the US Dollar.

What is Quantitative Tightening (QT) and how does it impact the US Dollar?

Quantitative tightening (QT) is the reverse process of QE, whereby the Federal Reserve stops buying bonds from financial institutions and does not reinvest the principal from the bonds it holds maturing, to purchase new bonds. It is usually positive for the value of the US Dollar.