- The US Dollar drops further against most major peers for a third day in a row.
- ADP numbers are coming un substantially softer than expected.
- The US Dollar Index DXY faces over 2% devaluation so far this week.
The US Dollar Index (DXY), which tracks the performance of the US Dollar (USD) against six major currencies, deepens out its losses for the third day in a row this week and trades near 105.00 at the time of writing on Wednesday, the lowest level since early November. The downward move comes as traders further unwind their overall Dollar exposure now that several analysts are calling the end of the United States (US) exceptionalism amid concerns that US President Donald Trump’s tariffs could damage economic growth. The move comes ahead of the European Central Bank (ECB) rate decision on Thursday and the US Nonfarm Payrolls report for February on Friday.
On the economic data front, more negativeness for the US Dollar could be on the horizon. The Institute for Supply Management (ISM) is set to release its report on the Services sector on Wednesday. At the start of the week on Monday, the ISM report on the Manufacturing sector set in motion the correction in the Greenback, which only accelerated further since then.
Daily digest market movers: More pressure
- At 13:15 GMT, the usual appetizer ahead of the Nonfarm Payrolls came in with the ADP Employment Change number for February. The number came in at 77,000, far below the xpectations for 140,000 new employees in the private sector, below the 183,000 in January.
- At 14:45 GMT, S&P Global will release its final reading for the Purchasing Managers Index (PMI) on the Services sector. Expectations are for a steady 49.7.
- At 15:00 GMT, the ISM is ready to release its PMI report on the Services sector for February:
- Services PMI is expected to come in at 52.6, a touch softer than the previous 52.8.
- The economic calendar does not show expectations regarding the Employment component, which was 52.3 in January.
- The New Orders component has no consensus view and was at 51.3 previously.
- At 18:00 GMT, Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond President Thomas Barkin delivers a speech titled “Inflation Then and Now” at the Fredericksburg Regional Alliance in Fredericksburg, United States.
- At 19:00 GMT, the Federal Reserve will release the Beige Book, which reports on the current US economic situation.
- Equities are mixed and face minor gains or losses this Wednesday ahead of the ISM release.
- The CME Fedwatch Tool projects a 21.0% chance that interest rates will remain at the current range of 4.25%-4.50% in June, with the rest showing a possible rate cut.
- The US 10-year yield trades around 4.20%, off its near five-month low of 4.10% printed on Tuesday.
US Dollar Index Technical Analysis: Snaps
The US Dollar Index (DXY) is not enjoying this week, that is for sure. The DXY sees bulls exiting the premises, which gives the US Dollar bears good cards to run the Greenback into the ground. With more and more calls for lower US rates while US economic data further deteriorates, it looks like the DXY might be on its way even to 103.00 in the near term if this selling pressure keeps persisting.
On the upside, the first upside target to recover is the pivotal level at 105.53. Once through there, a heavy job awaits with pivotal levels at 105.89 and 106.52 before bulls start to consider a visit to the 100-day Simple Moving Average (SMA) at 106.87.
On the downside, the 200-day SMA at 105.03 is identified as the first support level, which is being tested at the time of writing. Should that level snap, a long stretch opens up towards 104.00. Even 103.00 could come under consideration in case US yields roll off further.
US Dollar Index: Daily Chart
Tariffs FAQs
Tariffs are customs duties levied on certain merchandise imports or a category of products. Tariffs are designed to help local producers and manufacturers be more competitive in the market by providing a price advantage over similar goods that can be imported. Tariffs are widely used as tools of protectionism, along with trade barriers and import quotas.
Although tariffs and taxes both generate government revenue to fund public goods and services, they have several distinctions. Tariffs are prepaid at the port of entry, while taxes are paid at the time of purchase. Taxes are imposed on individual taxpayers and businesses, while tariffs are paid by importers.
There are two schools of thought among economists regarding the usage of tariffs. While some argue that tariffs are necessary to protect domestic industries and address trade imbalances, others see them as a harmful tool that could potentially drive prices higher over the long term and lead to a damaging trade war by encouraging tit-for-tat tariffs.
During the run-up to the presidential election in November 2024, Donald Trump made it clear that he intends to use tariffs to support the US economy and American producers. In 2024, Mexico, China and Canada accounted for 42% of total US imports. In this period, Mexico stood out as the top exporter with $466.6 billion, according to the US Census Bureau. Hence, Trump wants to focus on these three nations when imposing tariffs. He also plans to use the revenue generated through tariffs to lower personal income taxes.
