Dollar Recovers as EUR/USD Weakens
Yahoo Finance·2025-12-18 15:37

Currency Market Overview - The dollar index (DXY00) increased by +0.09%, recovering from early losses due to Eurozone fiscal concerns impacting EUR/USD [1] - The dollar found support as US weekly jobless claims fell to 224,000, close to expectations of 225,000 [3] - The dollar initially declined due to weaker-than-expected US reports on November CPI and December Philadelphia Fed business outlook survey [1][3] Federal Reserve Actions - The Federal Reserve is increasing liquidity in the financial system by purchasing $40 billion a month in T-bills, which is putting pressure on the dollar [2] - There are concerns regarding President Trump's potential appointment of a dovish Fed Chair, which could be bearish for the dollar [2] Economic Indicators - The US November CPI rose by +2.7% year-on-year, which was weaker than the expected +3.1% [3] - The November core CPI increased by +2.6% year-on-year, also below expectations of +3.0%, marking the smallest pace of increase in 4.5 years [3] - The December Philadelphia Fed business outlook survey unexpectedly fell by -8.5 to -10.2, contrary to expectations of an increase to 2.3 [3] Market Expectations - Markets are pricing in a 27% chance that the FOMC will cut the fed funds target range by 25 basis points at the upcoming January 27-28 meeting [4] Eurozone Economic Concerns - The euro (EUR/USD) decreased by -0.20% as ECB officials indicated that the cycle of interest rate cuts is likely finished based on growth and inflation outlooks [5] - Fiscal concerns in the Eurozone are heightened after Germany announced plans to increase federal debt sales by nearly 20% to a record 512 billion euros ($601 billion) to fund increased government spending [5]