AUDUSD: The foreign exchange market is quiet, the USD is stable Most Asian currencies remained weak on Wednesday, with the dollar hovering near a six-week high as markets awaited further signals on when the Federal Reserve would start cutting interest rates. The Australian dollar weakened by 0.1%, although January's PMI data showed improvement in manufacturing and services activity. The Australian dollar, which is often used as an indicator of overall Asian markets' risk appetite, is also trading near seven-week lows. The US dollar has stabilized near six-week highs as the economy continues to grow. Data, Fed meeting underway
The dollar index and dollar index futures each fell 0.1% in Asian trade, after rising earlier to their highest since early December. The dollar got off to a strong start to 2024, with solid inflation and jobs data showing traders' expectations that a Fed rate cut was imminent have largely dissipated.
That perception was further exacerbated by a series of hawkish comments from Fed officials last week.
The focus now shifts to fourth-quarter gross domestic product (GDP) data scheduled for release on Thursday and data on the PCE price index, the Fed's preferred inflation measure, scheduled for release on Friday. Signs of a recovery in economic growth and inflation would give the Fed more incentive to keep interest rates high for longer periods of time.
The reading also came days before the Fed's first meeting in 2024, when the Fed is widely expected to keep interest rates at a 23-year high. However, the Fed is still expected to start cutting rates before the end of the year, and traders will be watching for any such signals from the meeting.
