The dollar fell against most major currencies on Thursday, with the dollar index (USDX) down by 0.79%, after hitting four-month highs following the outcome of the U.S. presidential election. The long awaited November FOMC meeting concluded with a 25 bps rate cut as expected and Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell failing to offer any strong clues that the U.S. central bank is likely to pause rate cuts in the near-term.
The Fed saw the job market starting to slow down, and inflation heading in the right direction. A super strong September jobs report had people thinking fewer rate cuts were coming, but then October's numbers were a bit disappointing.
According to the CME Fedwatch tool, odds for a 25bps rate cut in December stand at 25.3% while a 50 bps rate cut is seen as more likely with odds at 74.7%.
Positive sentiment in Wall Street continues, with the US 500 index surging to new record highs after the Federal Reserve delivered a widely expected rate cut. The prospect of further monetary easing has become less likely, with market participants now anticipating only two rate reductions amid concerns that a big government spending plan could fuel inflation.
In corporate news, Moderna's (MRNA) stock price dropped 2.88% even though they made a surprise profit in the third quarter from strong COVID-19 vaccine sales. But the company said they expect lower sales next year. Lyft, Inc. shares soared approximately 23% after the ride-hailing company reported sales exceeding estimates, provided optimistic guidance, and unveiled a new partnership for autonomous vehicles. Sony reported on Friday a 73% rise in group operating profit in the July-September quarter, buoyed by strong sales in its game and network business.
In the cryptos front, Bitcoin broke its all-time high of $76,462 and marked a new one at $76,902 as an interest rate cut by the Federal Reserve and the potential increase in money supply kept crypto markets upbeat. In addition, following the election of Trump, bets increased that upcoming policies would give Bitcoin more legitimacy as an investment vehicle, boosting its adoption by institutional investors. The overall crypto market capitalization rose from $2.63 trillion dollars to $2.67.
The focus for Friday lies on the preliminary release of the University of Michigan consumer sentiment and inflation expectations survey as well as Canada’s unemployment rate. FOMC members Bowman and Musalem will also testify during the day.
EUR/USD
On Thursday, the EUR/USD pair retraced back to the 1.0800 mark following the Federal Reserve’s widely anticipated 25-basis-point rate cut.
With November’s rate decision finalized, market participants now shift focus to December 18, when the Fed could potentially introduce another 25 bps cut, concluding its year-end monetary policy strategy.
The Federal Reserve's latest rate adjustment, building on a hefty 50 bps cut in September, aligned with market expectations, helping to maintain financial market stability. However, investors and analysts are now assessing the likelihood of a third consecutive rate cut in December.
To cap off a busy week, the University of Michigan’s Consumer Sentiment Index for November will be released on Friday.