US Dollar steadies after wild ride, with Powell shrugging off politics

The US Dollar stabilizes on  Friday after a volatile week. 

Jerome Powell responded bluntly to markets and reporters on his future as Fed Chairman. 

The US Dollar index steadies in the 104-region, looking for a fresh direction. 

The US Dollar (USD) stablizes around the mid-104.00 region on Friday after founding support as investors digest the Federal Reserve’s (Fed) decision to lower its monetary policy rate by 25 basis points to the 4.50%-4.75% range on Thursday. The rate cut event completely faded to the background, with reports eager to ask if Fed Chairman Jerome Powell needs to fear for his job now that President-elect Donald Trump will come to the White House in January. Powell was quite blunt and direct in saying that he will not resign and cannot be fired, underlining that the Fed is an independent body from politics in the US. 

The US economic calendar sees the release of the University of Michigan’s preliminary November report on Friday. As always, a good guide and leading indicator of how consumer sentiment in the US is holding up. The inflation expectation of US consumers in the report will be a key factor after several head economists and analysts have predicted inflation will be one of the major concerns for the Trump presidency.