Dollar Holds Gains on Hawkish Fed Bets
The US dollar index hovered just below 103 on Thursday after gaining more than 1% over the previous two sessions, reaching its highest level since April 2025 amid growing expectations of further Federal Reserve rate hikes. The rally was supported by October inflation data that came in above market forecasts, alongside increasingly hawkish remarks from Fed policymakers. Fed Governor Christopher Waller cautioned that a 50-basis-point rate increase in December may be necessary, while Dallas Fed President Lorie Logan supported at least two additional 25-basis-point hikes as inflationary pressures continue to build. Markets are now assigning roughly a 91% probability to a rate increase next month, with investors also factoring in the possibility of further tightening in January and potentially April. Attention now shifts to Thursday’s initial jobless claims and existing home sales figures for additional insight into inflation trends, labor market conditions and the broader economic outlook.
The US dollar index hovered just below 103 on Thursday after gaining more than 1% over the previous two sessions, reaching its highest level since April 2025 amid growing expectations of further Federal Reserve rate hikes. The rally was supported by October inflation data that came in above market forecasts, alongside increasingly hawkish remarks from Fed policymakers. Fed Governor Christopher Waller cautioned that a 50-basis-point rate increase in December may be necessary, while Dallas Fed President Lorie Logan supported at least two additional 25-basis-point hikes as inflationary pressures continue to build.
Markets are now assigning roughly a 91% probability to a rate increase next month, with investors also factoring in the possibility of further tightening in January and potentially April. Attention now shifts to Thursday’s initial jobless claims and existing home sales figures for additional insight into inflation trends, labor market conditions and the broader economic outlook.