The US dollar is strengthening Heres whats driving the rally and what it means for Americans CNN Business

However, the strong dollar is not an exogenous shock, it is an endogenous reaction of the market to the fact that the US is doing better than the rest. The US Dollar (USD) printed a fresh two years high, pushing the DXY US Dollar Index above 108.00, after Purchasing Managers Index (PMI) data for the Eurozone signaled that the camarilla indicator explains why the nq emini is struggling the region could be on the brink of a recession. The data weighed heavily on the Euro (EUR) – the main foreign currency forming the DXY – as it could mean more interest rate cuts ahead by the European Central Bank (ECB) in order to support growth. The People’s Bank of China has cut key interest rates on mortgages and on its lending to banks in recent months to help boost demand for credit. Many economists have revised their growth forecasts higher in response to all the good news.

That type of leveraged and inverse fund can help traders generate sizable short-term returns, but they are not designed to be held as long-term investments. The top stocks Bank of America found were helped by the rising dollar include Huntington Ingalls Industries (HII), Darden Restaurants (DRI) and Clorox (CLX). “While the Fed remains steadfastly data dependent, the dollar’s course as well remains focused on inflation and the Fed’s monetary response,” Krosby says.

Who decides on monetary policy and interest rates?

So far in 2023, inflation and interest rate expectations have whipsawed back and forth. In early March, the dollar hit its highest level since November, before investors’ concerns over stability of the U.S. banks triggered a sharp reversal. As an investor, you generally want to be more vigilant when investing in companies that do business overseas due to the relative value of the U.S. dollar. Changes in the dollar’s value what is the stock market and how does it work can have a big impact on a company’s international sales, since it can erode their competitiveness in any market whose currency is cheaper than the greenback. The US dollar index measures the performance of the dollar against a basket of currencies.

Also, investors sitting on the sidelines and waiting for a better time to buy stocks can currently earn an interest rate of 4% or higher on the dollar in top high-yield savings accounts. These accounts are essentially risk-free for balances of up to $250,000 per bank, as long as the bank is insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC). U.S. investors typically measure the value of goods, services and investments in dollars. A strong dollar reflects an increase in the dollar’s value relative to other currencies around the world. This is to be expected since the average includes data from the previous, lower priced days. As long as prices remain above the average there is strength in the market.

What does a central bank do?

“The dollar tends to weaken when rates decline, supporting the earnings of companies with offshore operations. This is especially important for the large-cap tech sector, which is both the largest weighting in the S&P 500 (28 percent) and is the only group to generate more than half its revenues outside the US,” Colas says. Looking ahead, LPL Financial chief global strategist Quincy Krosby says the strength of the dollar will continue to be tied closely to U.S. inflation and interest rates. In most of the a simple yet profitable strategy major currency pairings, the U.S. dollar gained strength over the past 12 months. Over the last few months especially, there’s been a lot of focus in the world of Currency Trading upon the state of the US Dollar. No matter what your opinion is of the Greenback, it is still, without question, regarded as the world’s primary reserve currency and holds its weight of recognition across the board.

DXY chart

Earlier on Friday, the final reading for the German Gross Domestic Product (GDP) was downwardly revised to 0.1%, which means that the Eurozone’s largest economy barely grew in the third quarter. Industrial production in Germany fell for the third-straight month in July, official data also showed Thursday, adding to a cocktail of woes for Europe’s largest economy. The Chinese yuan has slumped by 2.6% in that time to hit its lowest level against the dollar in 16 years. “The US economy continues to demonstrate remarkable strength, while matters in China and Europe, in particular, seem to be descending into a much more recessionary place,” Athey added. “Rumors of the US dollar’s demise continue to be greatly exaggerated,” James Athey, investment director at Abrdn, an asset manager, told CNN. Investors willing to take on more risk for more potential upside can also directly buy U.S. dollar futures or options contracts.

1. After each calculation the program assigns a Buy, Sell, or Hold value with the study, depending on where the price lies in reference to the common interpretation of the study.
2. Earlier on Friday, the final reading for the German Gross Domestic Product (GDP) was downwardly revised to 0.1%, which means that the Eurozone’s largest economy barely grew in the third quarter.
3. The US Dollar (USD) printed a fresh two years high, pushing the DXY US Dollar Index above 108.00, after Purchasing Managers Index (PMI) data for the Eurozone signaled that the region could be on the brink of a recession.

US DOLLAR CURRENCY INDEX

Wayne Duggan has a decade of experience covering breaking market news and providing analysis and commentary related to popular stocks. News & World Report and a regular contributor for Forbes Advisor and USA Today. Get Forbes Advisor’s expert insights on investing in a variety of financial instruments, from stocks and bonds to cryptocurrencies and more.