Amid global monetary shifts from major banks, the U.S. dollar, influenced by the Federal Reserve, hovered near a six-month high.
The U.S. dollar, gauged by the Dollar Index (DXY), showcased strength, lingering near a six-month high on Thursday. This surge follows the Federal Reserve’s intimation that its monetary policy will retain its hawkish stance. Although interest rates remained stable within the anticipated 5.25%-5.50% bracket, the central bank’s outlook portrays a trajectory of firmer rates until 2024.
While the U.S. dollar demonstrated bullish tendencies, global counterparts exhibited mixed reactions. The Japanese yen fortified against the dollar, with the Bank of Japan’s upcoming policy statement in sight. Concurrently, the British pound and Swiss franc experienced slumps post their central banks’ decisions to retain interest rates. The yen’s movement, nearing a 10-month trough versus the dollar, has stirred contemplations of potential Japanese governmental interventions in the forex sector.
Contrasting the Fed’s optimism, the European Central Bank (ECB) and Bank of England (BoE) exude caution, grappling with challenging economic terrains. The pound plummeted to a record low since March as the BoE maintained its interest rates, breaking a sequence of 14 successive hikes. Simultaneously, the Swiss franc dipped post the Swiss National Bank’s decision to keep rates unchanged, marking a divergence from its routine hikes since March 2022. On another note, Sweden’s Riksbank and Norway’s central bank both elevated rates by 25 basis points, aligning with market predictions.
In the short-term, traders should anticipate elevated volatility. The U.S. dollar’s resilient ascent, combined with global monetary shifts, sets the stage for dynamic forex market movements. Given the juxtaposed monetary stances of major global banks, market participants should brace for both opportunities and headwinds in the currency domain.
Technical Analysis
The current 4-hour price of the US Dollar Index (DXY) stands at 105.468, which is slightly below its previous 4-hour close of 105.515. When considering the moving averages, the price is currently above the 200-4H moving average (104.050) and also above the 50-4H moving average (105.099), both signs pointing to a prevailing bullish trend. The 14-4H RSI registers at 58.16, signaling moderately strong momentum without being in the overbought territory.
In relation to support and resistance levels, DXY is hovering above the main support range (103.273 to 103.013) and inside its main resistance zone (105.095 to 105.883). Summarizing, the DXY displays a bullish sentiment but is trading inside a major resistance area that could provide significant resistance. On the other hand, taking out the resistance zone could also trigger an acceleration to the upside. Therefore, we’re going to call the market cautiously bullish at current price levels.
James Hyerczyk is a U.S. based seasoned technical analyst and educator with over 40 years of experience in market analysis and trading, specializing in chart patterns and price movement. He is the author of two books on technical analysis and has a background in both futures and stock markets.