Diverging monetary policies have fueled the U.S. dollars strength

Diverging monetary policies have fueled the U.S. dollars strength this summer, more so against the EUR than any of the other Group of Seven (G-7) currencies. On Thursday, the pressure applied to the single unit managed to push it to its weakest outright level (€1.2697) in almost two years. To date, the greenback has ridden the wave of quantitative easing (QE) tapering and the prospect of a mid-2015 rate hike, and because of that, the market has been able to ride the telegraphed last five-cent EUR freefall with very little obstruction.
Gold headed for the first weekly advance this month as a retreat in global equities and tensions in the Middle East boosted demand for a protection of wealth, countering expectations for higher U.S. borrowing costs.
Bullion for immediate delivery rose 0.4 percent to $1,226.90 an ounce at 9:46 a.m. in Singapore, extending yesterdays 0.4 percent advance, according to Bloomberg generic pricing. The metal is 0.9 percent higher this week, rebounding from a drop on Sept. 22 to $1,208.40, the lowest since Jan. 2.
Gold remains on course for the first quarterly loss this year as the Bloomberg Dollar Spot Index climbed to a four-year high. A report today may show the U.S. economy grew more than previously estimated after data yesterday showed jobless claims rose less than forecast. Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Bahrain, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates joined the first wave of U.S.-led airstrikes against Islamic State militants in Syria this week.

US dollar strength

Diverging monetary policies have fueled US dollar strength this summer, but Chapdelaine Foreign Exchange's Doug Borthwick thinks a pullback is coming. The greenback has ridden the wave of QE tapering and prospect of a mid-2015 rate hike. But further strength will need to be derived from how the Fed manages its balance sheet, and here, Borthwick thinks any wind down will be a drawn out process. Meanwhile, any ECB effort to boost its balance sheet is limited within its ABS-buying program. "This may be the point where the market digests recent comments and pulls back the excitement as recent rhetoric shows the foundation to the trade is not exactly built on stone."

EUR/USD Daily

 EUR/USD   Daily
13::40 GMT - Mkt. has broken to a new low and we should see a run down to the 1.2745/55 area next. Initial res. is at recent lows at   1.2810/20.N.I.

USD/CAD has taken a breathe

After strong gains this week, USD/CAD has taken a breather on Wednesday, as the pair trades in the mid-1.10 range in the European session.  The Canadian dollar has sagged, losing over 100 points since Monday. On the release front, today highlight is US New Home Sales. The markets are expecting the indicator to improve in the upcoming release. There are no Canadian releases on Wednesday.
It was a poor start for Canadian numbers this week as retail numbers were dismal in August. Core Retail Sales slipped by 0.6%, the indicator’s first decline since January. The estimate stood at -0.1%. Retail Sales also softened, posting a decline of -0.1%. The markets had anticipated a gain of 0.4%. The weak figures point to decreasing spending by Canadian consumers, which does not bode well for the Canadian economy, as consumer spending is a critical engine for economic growth.

U.S. dollar weakened

The U.S. dollar weakened against its major counterparts on Tuesday, as U.S. treasury yields fell amid bargain hunting, as well as on expectations that the U.S. Federal Reserve would not raise rates quickly given the recent weak economic data.
The 10-year Treasury yield fell 0.76 percent to 2.547 percent, while yields on 30-year Treasuries were at 3.271 percent, a 0.54 percent decrease. The yield falls when bond prices rise.
Data from the National Association of Realtors showed that U.S. existing home sales fell unexpectedly by 1.8 percent in August, halting four months of gains. According to a report from Chicago Federal Reserve, manufacturing activity in the U.S. weakened in August, with the national activity index based on a survey declining to -0.21 in the month from a positive reading of 0.26 in the previous month.

Japanese yen

The Japanese yen is stable on Tuesday, as USD/JPY trades in the mid-108 range late in the European session. Trade is light as the Japanese markets are closed for a national holiday. In the US, today’s highlight is the Richmond Manufacturing Index. The indicator is expected to post another strong reading.
USD/JPY enjoyed another strong week, buoyed by dollar gains after the Federal Reserve statement on Wednesday. The Fed statement reaffirmed that interest rates would remain ultra-low for a “considerable time” after the asset purchase scheme (QE) ends next month, but surprised the markets in hinting that once a rate hike was introduced, rate levels could move up more quickly than expected. As expected, the Fed trimmed QE by $10 billion/month, and the remaining $15 billion/month is scheduled to be phased out in October.

USD/JPY,,AUD/USD

The Japanese yen continues to struggle, as USD/JPY lost about 170 points last week. The pair is trading just above the 109 line in Monday’s European session, as the yen trades at its lowest level in over six years. On the release front, the only US data on the schedule is Existing Home Sales. There are no Japanese releases on Monday.
US Unemployment Claims has looked sluggish over the past two readings, but that changed on Thursday, as the key indicator sparkled, dropping to 280 thousand, down sharply from 315 thousand in the previous reading. The estimate stood at 312 thousand. Building Permits was not as strong, dipping to 1.00M. This was shy of the estimate of 1.04M.
The Australian dollar continues to head south on Monday, as AUD/USD trades in the high-0.88 range late in the European session. The Aussie has been in free fall in September, giving up about 450 points. Taking a look at Monday’s events, the US will release Existing Home Sales later in the day. There are no Australian releases on Monday.
US Unemployment Claims has looked sluggish over the past two readings, but that changed on Thursday, as the key indicator sparkled, dropping to 280 thousand, down sharply from 315 thousand in the previous reading. The estimate stood at 312 thousand. Building Permits was not as strong, dipping to 1.00M. This was shy of the estimate of 1.04M. There was disappointing news from the manufacturing front, as the Philly Fed Manufacturing Index slipped to 22.5 points, down from 28.0 a month earlier. The estimate stood at 22.8 points.