U.S. Dollar Index Price Posts Mild Gains As Risk Appetite Reduces

During the morning trading hours of Friday in Asia, the US Dollar Index (DXY) price rose for the second straight day to reach an intraday high of 96.05.

Given the weak liquidity at the end of the year, the dollar index reflects the cautious market sentiment. The main catalysts are mixed concerns over the South African version of Covid, Omicron, and political headlines regarding Iran, China, and Ukraine.

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As of Tuesday, Reuters’ record of seven-day average new Coronavirus cases in the United States reached 290,000 for the second straight day. The same is true for Europe, Australia, and the UK, while some Asian countries reported COVID outbreaks. The same prompt health experts and the World Health Organization (WHO) to issue warnings about year-end celebrations.

A launch by Iran into space undercuts earlier optimism about a denuclearization deal with world leaders. The Chinese and Hong Kong governments disapprove of US efforts to free Hong Kong journalists for the same reason. Reuters reported that US President Joe Biden and Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin warned each other on Thursday about escalating tensions over Ukraine, leading to a breakdown in relations between the two countries.

More reliable data from the US, along with a high 10-year break-even inflation rate from the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis (FRED), contributed to DXY’s recovery the day before. Initial jobless claims fell from 208,000 to 198,000 in the week ending December 24. Furthermore, in December, Chicago’s purchasing managers’ index rose from 62.0 to 63.1. S&P 500 futures lost 0.35% at the latest, while Wall Street indices posted moderate losses.

DXY traders may see a lackluster end of 2021, but the bulls may still hold the reins amid the warlike sentiment from the Federal Reserve and hopes for further stimulus from the Biden administration.

US Dollar Index Price Technical Analysis: SMAs To Cap Gains

(Click on image to enlarge)

The 4-hour chart shows that the US Dollar index attempted to recover, but gains remained capped by the key SMAs confluence around 96.20 area. The ranging pattern is intact for the index, and there is no clear clue for the bulls or bears here.