Forex Major Currencies Outlook (Aug 19, 2016)

Reports such as initial jobless claims and Philly Fed index were also better than expected but forex traders still seem to be factoring in the implications of the July FOMC meeting minutes on rate hike odds. There are no reports due from the US economy today.

EUR

The euro was able to take advantage of dollar weakness and recover against the commodity currencies. Final CPI readings were in line with expectations while the ECB meeting minutes were not as dovish as many expected. There are no reports due from the euro zone today.

GBP

The pound was able to enjoy another leg higher when the UK retail sales report beat expectations. Analysts were only expecting to see a 0.1% uptick but the report printed a 1.4% jump, suggesting that consumer spending didn't take such a huge hit after the EU referendum. UK public sector net borrowing data is due today.

CHF

The franc continued to advance to the dollar and the European currencies even though there were no major reports out of the Swiss economy yesterday. There are still no reports due today so market sentiment could be the main price driver.

JPY

The yen held on to its recent gains as risk-taking appeared to fade in recent sessions. Japan's trade balance also beat expectations with a 0.32T JPY surplus versus the projected 0.14T JPY figure. For today, the all industries activity index is due.

Commodity Currencies (AUD, NZD, CAD)

Comdolls were mostly weaker for the day even though Australia printed an upbeat jobs report. The economy added 26.2K jobs in July, higher than the projected 10.2K reading, while the June reading enjoyed an upgrade from 7.9K to 10.8K. Canada's CPI and retail sales figures are lined up for today.

By Kate Curtis from Trader's Way