Commerzbank’s Volkmar Baur explains that softer underlying inflation in Australia has reduced market confidence in another Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) rate hike next week, after two consecutive moves in February and March.
Dow Jones futures advance 0.12%, trading near 49,350 during the European hours on Wednesday, ahead of the United States (US) regular opening. Meanwhile, S&P 500 and Nasdaq 100 futures advance 0.09% and 0.33% to near 7,180 and 27,260, respectively.
The Bank of Canada (BoC) is widely expected to keep its monetary policy rate unchanged at 2.25% for its fourth consecutive meeting on Wednesday, requesting more time to assess the impact on inflation and economic growth from the US-Iran war.
The Japanese Yen (JPY) trades cautiously against the US Dollar (USD) at around 159.65 during the European trading session on Wednesday. The USD/JPY pair is expected to remain on the sidelines, with investors awaiting the Federal Reserve’s (Fed) monetary policy announcement at 18:00 GMT.
Danske Research Team notes that EUR/USD is trading close to 1.17 ahead of the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) meeting, where th e Federal Reserve (Fed) is expected to keep rates unchanged and avoid firm forward guidance.
Rabobank's Senior Macro Strategist Bas van Geffen expects the Bank of Canada (BoC) to keep its overnight rate at 2.25% through year-end. He notes inflation had been near target before an energy-driven spike revived upside risks, but growth remains volatile and productivity weak.
EUR/JPY depreciates after three days of gains, trading around 186.70 during European hours on Wednesday. The technical analysis of the daily chart indicates the currency cross is positioned slightly below the ascending channel, signaling a possible bearish reversal.
The NZD/USD pair attracts some sellers to around 0.5865 during the early European session on Wednesday. Traders prefer to wait on the sidelines ahead of the US Federal Reserve (Fed) interest rate decision later on Wednesday, with no change in rate expected.
The Euro (EUR) is trading lower against the US Dollar (USD) for the second consecutive day on Wednesday, retreating below 1.1700 at the time of writing, from 1.1720 highs during the Asian session, yet moving within previous days' ranges.
The USD/CAD pair clings to Tuesday’s gains around 1.3690 during the European trading session on Wednesday. The Loonie pair reflects strength as the US Dollar (USD) trades higher ahead of the Federal Reserve’s (Fed) monetary policy announcement at 18:00 GMT.
