The US currency is closing the week strongly higher, having confirmed its leading position once again. Its European rival is rapidly losing ground. According to analysts, EUR/USD will be retesting the parity level from time to time, which is not good for the euro.
The greenback, which has reached its peak in the past 20 years, started its rally late on Thursday, September 1. On the first day of autumn, the US dollar posted the third week of continuous gains. So, on Friday, it recorded the highest value in the past two decades trading against the euro and the yen.
The US dollar hit 20-year highs following the release of the manufacturing index in the US. The data showed that the ISM Manufacturing PMI stayed at the same level of 52.8 in August. Some analysts expected a drop to 52 points. Yet, as the data shows, activity in the US manufacturing sector has notably increased. The indicator has been showing strength for a long time already.
In this light, the European currency is noticeably retreating against its American counterpart. The euro opened this week below the parity level but managed to win back some losses later on. In the middle of the trading week, EUR/USD recovered to 1.0078 amid lower gas and oil prices and hawkish comments from the ECB. For your reference, the euro first tested the party level in early July and then slumped to the critical level of 0.9903.
The situation only worsened as EUR was struggling to leave the parity level and withstand the downward pressure. On Friday morning, September 2, the EUR/USD pair was trading near 0.9970. There is a possibility that the pair may slightly advance to 0.9980. Its breakout will open the way for sellers towards the area of 0.9800–0.9820.
Monetary policy tightening of the US Federal Reserve provides significant support to the greenback. The dollar is getting stronger as the Fed's September meeting is approaching. At the same time, the European currency is in a much less favorable position as it is pressured by a protracted energy crisis in Europe. Market participants expect the Fed to maintain its tight monetary policy as this measure is necessary to tackle accelerated inflation. The rate is projected to increase by 75 basis points to 3-3.25%.
On Friday, the employment data in the US will be released. Estimates suggest that the unemployment rate in August stayed close to 3.5% recorded in July. The nonfarm payroll employment has increased by 300K. The Federal Reserve will consider this data to evaluate the state of the labor market and make a decision on the key rate.
Experts assume that strong macroeconomic data will greenlight the rate hike through 2023. Markets are sure that the Fed will raise the rate for the third time in September by 75 basis points. For a different scenario, the Fed will need to see a deep decline in the labor market. Yet, there are currently no signs that it is cooling down.
This summer, the US economy performed relatively well despite the threat of a recession. However, analysts at Danske Bank are skeptical about the current policy of the Fed. They point out that headline inflation in the country has reached its peak while the labor market and inflationary pressure remain strong. This makes it harder for the regulator to avoid recession as this is where the US economy is headed in 2023, Danske Bank concludes.
