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Unveiling the Factors Behind the Dollar’s Recent Decline
The Dollar Index (DXY00) experienced a slight dip of -0.11% on Monday, reflecting a complex interplay of economic factors.
One of the key drivers behind the decline was a -3 basis point drop in the 10-year T-note yield, which, in turn, undercut the dollar’s interest rate differentials. Furthermore, Monday’s release of the NAHB U.S. housing market index revealed a concerning trend, with a substantial -5 point drop to a five-month low of 45, well below expectations for a more modest -1 point decrease to 49. This drop in builder confidence suggests the potential for a slowdown in home-building activity in the coming months.
[bm-undefined embedId=”307852102563439fa7d193066a4208a5″]Despite these pressures, the dollar did find some underlying support. Market expectations point to the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) maintaining a hawkish stance at the upcoming meeting, even though another rate hike is not anticipated. The FOMC’s commitment to this stance is based on the fact that inflation and the broader economy have not yet shown sufficient signs of slowing.
Looking ahead, the markets are currently assigning a 31% probability of a +25 basis point rate increase at the next FOMC meeting on November 1, with a 14% chance for a similar hike at the subsequent meeting on December 13. Beyond that, expectations turn to the possibility of rate cuts in 2024 in response to anticipated economic deceleration.
In the foreign exchange market, the EUR/USD (^EURUSD) remained relatively stable on Monday, while the USD/JPY (^USDJPY) saw a modest increase of +0.10%. The Japanese markets were closed on Monday but are closely monitoring the Bank of Japan’s policy meeting scheduled for Friday.
In the precious metals market, October gold (GCV3) experienced a gain of +0.38%, while December silver (SIZ23) rose by +0.48%. These precious metals found support from the slightly weaker dollar and the -3 basis point decline in the 10-year T-note yield. However, silver faced headwinds from higher German and UK bond yields and concerns over global economic growth. Notably, gold continues to feel pressure from liquidation pressures following a decline in gold holdings in exchange-traded funds (ETFs) to a 3-1/3 year low.
