US DOLLAR MIXED AS MORE FED SPEAKERS ARE SET TO MAKE COMMENTS

The Greenback trades flat and is looking for direction. 

Traders will be looking for clues and guidance from Fed Chairman Powell.

The US Dollar Index is steady in the 105-area and looks to be awaiting a catalyst for a move in any direction. 

The US Dollar (USD) is steerless this week and is looking for direction, or at least some kind of driver that will push it in any direction. The fact that the US Dollar Index is right in the middle of this week’s trading range, clearly points to some fatigue in the Greenback while traders are trying to assess the current situation in terms of a recession or soft landing for the US economy. 

On the economic data front, traders will be looking for clues again from the US Federal Reserve speakers that are on the docket for this Thursday. The weekly jobless claims could shed some light and could confirm the weaker US jobs report from last week, should there be an uptick in unemployment numbers. That could be an early sign on the wall and could send the US Dollar weaker against most major currencies.  

Daily digest: US Dollar braces for jobless numbers

The US 10-year bond auction on Wednesday was quite a success: The bond got placed at 4.519%, from earlier 4.610%. The Bid/Cover Ratio was at 2.45 against 2.50 previous. So for every tranche there was more demand than needed to get the bond filled. 

Philadelphia Fed president Patrick Harker said early on Thursday that rates should stay higher for longer and that the fight against inflation is still ongoing. 

Early morning comments from European Central Bank’s Luis De Guindos, made it clear he thought rate cuts were too premature to be factored in, and saw risk for an inflation surge in the next months.

Near 13:30 GMT the Jobless Claims are due to come out:

Initial Jobless Claims are expected to rise from 217,000 to 218,000.

Continuing Jobless Claims are expected to head from 1.818 million to 1.820 million. 

Atlanta Federal Reserve President Raphael Bostic is due to release comments around 14:30 GMT and near 16:00 Thomas Barkin from the Richmond branch is due to make some comments.

The US Treasury will have busy days as well and will be more than happy to do two bond placements at some less elevated rate levels: a 4-week bill and a 30-year bond auction are due to take place at 16:30 GMT and 18:00 GMT. 

To close the day off, traders will brace for comments from US Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell around 19:00 GMT, at a panel discussion on monetary policy for the IMF.

Equities are painting a very binary view this Thursday: Japan equities are in the green with over 1% profit for the Nikkei and the Topix. The Chinese Hang Seng is flat, together with European and US equities. 

The CME Group’s FedWatch Tool shows that markets are pricing in a 90.4% chance that the Federal Reserve will keep interest rates unchanged at its meeting in December. 

The benchmark 10-year US Treasury yield trades at 4.50%, after a successful allocation by the US Treasury earlier on Wednesday.