- Ongoing strength in the US labor market fuels expectations of a more restrictive Federal Reserve policy path in 2025.
- Investors rotate into the Greenback as elevated Treasury yields attract global capital, driving the US Dollar Index to fresh cycle peaks.
- Markets anticipate the Fed to maintain its 4.25%-4.50% rate range this month, postponing further cuts as inflation concerns persist.
The US Dollar Index (DXY), which measures the value of the USD against a basket of currencies, sees gains for a fifth straight session on Monday against nearly every major G20 peer. Markets are rebalancing for a more restrictive Federal Reserve (Fed) policy in 2025 after the most recent US employment report.
The DXY briefly touched 110.00 and seeks consolidation at these elevated levels as the Greenback retains its bullish footing given the solid Nonfarm Payrolls (NFP) data last Friday and the Fed’s cautious approach to easing viewed in last week’s Meeting Minutes.
Daily digest market movers: US Dollar sees gains on a solid NFP report
- Strong US data and hawkish Fed officials continue pushing the US Dollar to new cycle highs with robust December NFP figures underscoring labor market resilience.
- December Nonfarm Payrolls grew by 256,000, eclipsing the 160,000 consensus, while the Unemployment Rate ticked down to 4.1%. Wage inflation decelerated slightly to 3.9% YoY.
- New York Fed’s Nowcast points to Q4 growth at 2.4% SAAR, up from 1.9% last week, while Q1 estimates rose to 2.7% from 2.2%. The Atlanta Fed GDPNow model tracks Q4 near 2.7%.
- Fed set to hold rates steady this month as policymakers note diminished urgency for additional cuts, citing continued labor market and growth momentum through 2025.
- Consumer Price Index from December is due this week, and its outcome will dictate the market’s price dynamics as well as Fed rate bets.
DXY technical outlook: Index approaches 110.00, flashing overbought signals
The US Dollar Index has surged to its highest level since November 2022, briefly testing the 110.00 threshold. Momentum indicators are nearing overbought territory, suggesting a possible near-term pause or shallow pullback. Still, strong labor figures and a hawkish Fed bias reinforce the US Dollar’s bullish trajectory. Should profit-taking intensify, support may emerge around the 108.50–109.00 zone, providing a buffer for the ongoing uptrend.
Nonfarm Payrolls FAQs
Nonfarm Payrolls (NFP) are part of the US Bureau of Labor Statistics monthly jobs report. The Nonfarm Payrolls component specifically measures the change in the number of people employed in the US during the previous month, excluding the farming industry.
The Nonfarm Payrolls figure can influence the decisions of the Federal Reserve by providing a measure of how successfully the Fed is meeting its mandate of fostering full employment and 2% inflation. A relatively high NFP figure means more people are in employment, earning more money and therefore probably spending more. A relatively low Nonfarm Payrolls’ result, on the either hand, could mean people are struggling to find work. The Fed will typically raise interest rates to combat high inflation triggered by low unemployment, and lower them to stimulate a stagnant labor market.
Nonfarm Payrolls generally have a positive correlation with the US Dollar. This means when payrolls’ figures come out higher-than-expected the USD tends to rally and vice versa when they are lower. NFPs influence the US Dollar by virtue of their impact on inflation, monetary policy expectations and interest rates. A higher NFP usually means the Federal Reserve will be more tight in its monetary policy, supporting the USD.
Nonfarm Payrolls are generally negatively-correlated with the price of Gold. This means a higher-than-expected payrolls’ figure will have a depressing effect on the Gold price and vice versa. Higher NFP generally has a positive effect on the value of the USD, and like most major commodities Gold is priced in US Dollars. If the USD gains in value, therefore, it requires less Dollars to buy an ounce of Gold. Also, higher interest rates (typically helped higher NFPs) also lessen the attractiveness of Gold as an investment compared to staying in cash, where the money will at least earn interest.
Nonfarm Payrolls is only one component within a bigger jobs report and it can be overshadowed by the other components. At times, when NFP come out higher-than-forecast, but the Average Weekly Earnings is lower than expected, the market has ignored the potentially inflationary effect of the headline result and interpreted the fall in earnings as deflationary. The Participation Rate and the Average Weekly Hours components can also influence the market reaction, but only in seldom events like the “Great Resignation” or the Global Financial Crisis.
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