Dollar Sees Uptick, But November Nears Steepest Monthly Decline in a Year

The dollar made modest gains on Thursday, but it still faces the prospect of marking its most significant monthly decline in a year.

This trend is largely attributed to heightened speculation that the Federal Reserve will refrain from further rate hikes, a sentiment reinforced ahead of a crucial inflation report scheduled for later in the day.

The dollar index, gauging the U.S. currency against six counterparts, managed to climb 0.35% to 103.18, rebounding from Wednesday’s low of 102.46—the weakest level since August 11.

Despite this slight recovery, the index is on track to conclude November with a 3.3% slump, fueled by mounting expectations of a Fed interest rate cut in the first half of 2024.

Mohamad Al-Saraf, Associate of FX and Rates Strategy at Danske Bank, noted, “The key drivers in November for the dollar weakness have been the benign inflation data and the loosening signs of the labor market.”

Market focus intensifies as investors await the crucial Personal Consumption Expenditure (PCE) price index, the Fed’s targeted measure of inflation, scheduled for release on Thursday.

Christopher Wong, Currency Strategist at OCBC, emphasized that the PCE data would offer insights into the persistence of the disinflation trend.

As U.S. rates futures markets price in over 100 basis points of rate cuts for next year, commencing in May, the dollar’s path remains contingent on inflationary signals and cues from Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell’s speech on Friday.

The global economic landscape, underscored by weaker data in Germany, Spain, and France, amplifies the volatility in currency markets, leaving investors closely monitoring central bank responses.