US Dollar retreats for third day in a row ahead of US CPI inflation

LONDON (January 15) The US Dollar Index (DXY), which tracks the Greenback’s value against six major currencies, extends its correction from a two-year high above 110.00 reached on Monday and trades near 109.10 at the time of writing on Wednesday. It will be a very data-dependent day as all eyes are on the upcoming United States (US) Consumer Price Index (CPI) data for December on Wednesday after markets were caught by a surprise softer-than-expected Producer Price Index (PPI) the previous day. Because of that, expectations have swung now to the assumption the upcoming CPI numbers will be disinflationary and might see a revision of the timing when the Federal Reserve (Fed) will continue its rate cut cycle in 2025.

Thus, the US economic calendar will orbit around one thing: the US CPI for December. A look under the hood reveals estimates for the monthly headline reading ranging from 0.2% to 0.5% compared to the previous 0.3%. The monthly core reading has very tight estimates ranging between 0.2% and 0.3% compared to the 0.3% seen in November. 

Given the tight expectation range for the core CPI reading, a number outside the range could be the most market-moving element. Any print below 0.2% will trigger substantial weakness in the US Dollar (USD), whereas a print above 0.3% will strengthen the USD. 

Daily digest market movers: CPI on high importance

• At 13:30 GMT, the US Consumer Price Index data for December will be released. 
  • The monthly core CPI measure is expected to rise 0.2% compared to 0.3% the previous month. The monthly headline CPI reading is expected to increase steadily by  0.3%.
  • The yearly core CPI reading should rise steadily by 3.3%, while the headline reading is expected to tick up 2.9% compared to 2.7% in November.
• At 14:00 GMT, Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago President Austan Goolsbee will discuss the economy at the Wisconsin Bankers Association 2025 Midwest Economic Forecast Forum.
• At 15:00 GMT, Minneapolis Fed President Neel Kashkari will give welcoming remarks and participate in a fireside chat with Jay Debertin, President and CEO of CHS, Inc., as part of the Minneapolis Fed’s 2025 Regional Economic Conditions Conference.
• At 16:00 GMT, Federal Reserve Bank of New York President John Williams delivers keynote remarks at the "CBIA Economic Summit and Outlook 2025" event organized by the Connecticut Business and Industry Association (CBIA) in Connecticut.
• Equities are marginally in the green on Wednesday, with traders awaiting the US CPI release. 
• The CME FedWatch Tool projects a 97.3% chance that interest rates will be kept unchanged at current levels in the January meeting. Expectations are for the Federal Reserve (Fed) to remain data-dependent with uncertainties that could influence the inflation path once President-elect Donald Trump takes office on January 20.
• US yields are softening substantially. The 10-year benchmark trades around  4.774% at the time of writing on Wednesday, fading from its fresh 14-month high of 4.802% seen on Monday.

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