
EUR/USD is practically flat on Wednesday, trading just below 1.1650 at the time of writing, with one-month lows in the 1.1615 area in sight, which are at a relatively short distance. The US Dollar maintains a moderate bullish bias in a calm market session, unfazed by the softer-than-expected US core Consumer Prices Index (CPI) data released on Tuesday.
Figures from the US Bureau of Labour Statistics (BLS) revealed that price pressures remained fairly steady in December, against market hopes of an uptick in the core inflation. The US Dollar, however, maintained its mild bullish tone, as the data did not change the Federal Reserve's (Fed) monetary policy expectations. Futures market is practically fully pricing a steady interest rate decision in the late-January meeting, and the chances of a rate cut in March have dropped to 26% from nearly 40% one week ago, according to the CME FedWatch tool.
Market volatility has been low during a dozy Asian session. The economic calendar in Europe is void, apart from a speech by the European Central Bank’s Vice-President, Luis De Guindos. In the US, Retail Sales data and an array of Fed speakers will be in focus, although traders will keep an eye on the US Supreme Court, which might rule on US President Donald Trump’s tariffs later on Wednesday.
The table below shows the percentage change of Euro (EUR) against listed major currencies today. Euro was the strongest against the Japanese Yen.
| USD | EUR | GBP | JPY | CAD | AUD | NZD | CHF | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| USD | -0.01% | -0.09% | 0.03% | 0.00% | -0.25% | -0.16% | 0.00% | |
| EUR | 0.01% | -0.08% | 0.04% | 0.02% | -0.24% | -0.15% | 0.02% | |
| GBP | 0.09% | 0.08% | 0.13% | 0.10% | -0.16% | -0.07% | 0.10% | |
| JPY | -0.03% | -0.04% | -0.13% | -0.00% | -0.26% | -0.18% | -0.00% | |
| CAD | -0.01% | -0.02% | -0.10% | 0.00% | -0.26% | -0.17% | 0.00% | |
| AUD | 0.25% | 0.24% | 0.16% | 0.26% | 0.26% | 0.10% | 0.26% | |
| NZD | 0.16% | 0.15% | 0.07% | 0.18% | 0.17% | -0.10% | 0.17% | |
| CHF | -0.01% | -0.02% | -0.10% | 0.00% | -0.00% | -0.26% | -0.17% |
The heat map shows percentage changes of major currencies against each other. The base currency is picked from the left column, while the quote currency is picked from the top row. For example, if you pick the Euro from the left column and move along the horizontal line to the US Dollar, the percentage change displayed in the box will represent EUR (base)/USD (quote).

The EUR/USD pair treads water below the 1.1650 line, after pulling back from the 1.1700 area earlier this week. Technical indicators show a neutral-to-bearish tone. The Moving Average Convergence Divergence (MACD) is practically flat on the 4-hour chart, showing a lack of momentum, while the Relative Strength Index (RSI) has dropped below 43, pointing to fading demand.
Price action remains trapped within a descending channel from late December highs. The intraday low is near 1.1635, and the one-month low of 1.1618 remains in the bears' sight. Further down, the confluence of the channel bottom and December 2 lows, right below 1.1600, is a key area.
Immediate resistance stands at the channel top, now around 1.1685, ahead of Monday's high, near 1.1700. Further up, the target is the January 6 high, in the area of 1.1740.
(The technical analysis of this story was written with the help of an AI tool.)
The US Dollar (USD) is the official currency of the United States of America, and the ‘de facto’ currency of a significant number of other countries where it is found in circulation alongside local notes. It is the most heavily traded currency in the world, accounting for over 88% of all global foreign exchange turnover, or an average of $6.6 trillion in transactions per day, according to data from 2022. Following the second world war, the USD took over from the British Pound as the world’s reserve currency. For most of its history, the US Dollar was backed by Gold, until the Bretton Woods Agreement in 1971 when the Gold Standard went away.
The most important single factor impacting on the value of the US Dollar is monetary policy, which is shaped by the Federal Reserve (Fed). The Fed has two mandates: to achieve price stability (control inflation) and foster full employment. Its primary tool to achieve these two goals is by adjusting interest rates. When prices are rising too quickly and inflation is above the Fed’s 2% target, the Fed will raise rates, which helps the USD value. When inflation falls below 2% or the Unemployment Rate is too high, the Fed may lower interest rates, which weighs on the Greenback.
In extreme situations, the Federal Reserve can also print more Dollars and enact quantitative easing (QE). QE is the process by which the Fed substantially increases the flow of credit in a stuck financial system. It is a non-standard policy measure used when credit has dried up because banks will not lend to each other (out of the fear of counterparty default). It is a last resort when simply lowering interest rates is unlikely to achieve the necessary result. It was the Fed’s weapon of choice to combat the credit crunch that occurred during the Great Financial Crisis in 2008. It involves the Fed printing more Dollars and using them to buy US government bonds predominantly from financial institutions. QE usually leads to a weaker US Dollar.
Quantitative tightening (QT) is the reverse process whereby the Federal Reserve stops buying bonds from financial institutions and does not reinvest the principal from the bonds it holds maturing in new purchases. It is usually positive for the US Dollar.