



The Dollar seems doomed. Why some economists are pushing back.
Subscribe to enjoy similar stories. The dollar is staring at its sharpest January slide in eight years, following a dismal 2025. While many investors take a negative view on the greenback, some are betting on a rebound sparked by resilient U.S.
growth. The dollar index is on track to close out this month with a 1.7% loss, its steepest decline in the month of January since 2018. Renewed uncertainty around President Donald Trump’s approach to foreign policy, concerns about threats to the Federal Reserve’s independence, and the potential for a partial U.S.
government shutdown this weekend are weighing on the dollar. Looking at options market activity, it’s clear that traders are betting heavily on a weaker dollar. With the euro at $1.19, investors are paying more to bet on its rise to $1.24 by March.
In contrast, the demand for protection against a drop to $1.16 is lower. Getting more dollars for a single euro means the euro is strengthening, so a skew like this shows the market sees a dollar selloff likely than a recovery. “The ‘Sell America’ trade is back," wrote strategist Daniel von Ahlen from TS Lombard.
The firm is betting on a basket of undervalued European currencies like the ones from Czech Republic, Poland, and others that could indirectly benefit Germany’s spending. But here’s the kicker: While many factors point to further dollar weakness, it isn’t crazy to think that the opposite could happen. That makes the contrarian view, which focuses on levers of support for the dollar, important.
Surge in AI-related investment and a stabilizing labor market means the U.S. economy could pick up momentum, pushing the dollar higher, Jonas Goltermann, Capital Economics’ deputy chief markets economist, wrote on Monday. It also
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