U.S. dollar stands tall after Fed signals no rush to cut rates
Federal Reserve indicating no rush to cut interest rates.
The risk-sensitive Australian and New Zealand dollars remained on the defensive after steep slides on Thursday as worries about the economic drag from U.S. President Donald Trump's aggressive campaign of global trade tariffs dented sentiment.
The dollar index measure against a basket of six counterparts was steady at 103.81 as of 0036 GMT, after climbing 0.36% on Thursday.
The index plumped a five-month low at 103.19 this week following a steady decline from the highest since late 2022 at 110.17 on January 13 as hopes for expansive policies under Trump gave way to anxiety that the global trade war he started could trigger a U.S. recession.
Fed policymakers held rates steady on Wednesday and signaled two quarter-point cuts for later this year, the same median forecast as three months ago.
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«We're not going to be in any hurry to move,» Fed Chair Jerome Powell said, underscoring the challenge policymakers face in navigating Trump's erratic tariffs, and the potential impact on the domestic economy.
A new round of reciprocal levies is expected on April 2.
«We see some signs of a potential turn in the USD… with price now pushing into the range highs of this recent consolidation phase,» said Chris Weston, head of research at Pepperstone
«As we head into the April 2 Trump reciprocal tariff announcement, there is an increased risk that market players trim back on USD shorts and look to run a more neutral position.»
The euro, which has by far the