Dollar Index Little Changed
The dollar index was little changed at around 101.6 on Friday, hovering near three-week lows and down nearly 0.2% on the week. Cautious sentiment persisted amid further gains in oil prices and concerns over a potential escalation of hostilities in the Middle East, while the US midterm elections are now less than two weeks away. Meanwhile, concerns over heavy AI-related spending continued to weigh on sentiment. The Fed is set to announce its monetary policy decision next week, with markets pricing in a roughly 91% probability of rates remaining unchanged. Meanwhile, the probability of a 25bps rate hike in December stood at around 76%. Among major currencies, the Japanese yen strengthened against the dollar, benefiting from its safe-haven appeal. The euro, by contrast, edged lower as political uncertainty in France and continued selling pressure in the country's bond market weighed on the common currency.
The dollar index was little changed at around 101.6 on Friday, hovering near three-week lows and down nearly 0.2% on the week. Cautious sentiment persisted amid further gains in oil prices and concerns over a potential escalation of hostilities in the Middle East, while the US midterm elections are now less than two weeks away. Meanwhile, concerns over heavy AI-related spending continued to weigh on sentiment. The Fed is set to announce its monetary policy decision next week, with markets pricing in a roughly 91% probability of rates remaining unchanged.
Meanwhile, the probability of a 25bps rate hike in December stood at around 76%. Among major currencies, the Japanese yen strengthened against the dollar, benefiting from its safe-haven appeal. The euro, by contrast, edged lower as political uncertainty in France and continued selling pressure in the country's bond market weighed on the common currency.