FX.co ★ USD gains momentum following FOMC meeting

The US dollar has rallied robustly following the Federal Reserve's latest FOMC meeting, outpacing its European counterpart. USD found its wings, soaring on the back of the FOMC meeting outcomes which signaled another rate hike in 2023.

Following the June FOMC meeting, the committee maintained the federal funds rate within the range of 5.00%-5.25%, after a series of ten consecutive increases, meeting market expectations. The regulator hasn't ruled out another rate hike before the end of this year.

At the same time, Fed Chairman Jerome Powell unveiled an updated forecast, indicating that FOMC members anticipate an additional 0.50% increase in the federal funds rate in 2023.

According to experts, the Fed has now implemented the most aggressive series of rate hikes since the 1980s. This measure was necessary to combat inflation, which has decreased from its peak (9.1%) in June 2022 to the current 4%.

In the light of these developments, US government bond yields showed steady growth, bolstering the greenback. Consequently, the US dollar significantly appreciated against other major currencies, especially the euro.

Analysts assert that high rates impact the cost of US debt placement. According to the US Treasury Department's estimates, as of the end of April 2023, interest payments on the national debt stood at $460 billion, accounting for 12.5% of the total US budget.

After raising the debt ceiling, US authorities intend to issue new debt obligations that could exceed $1-$1.5 trillion. Therefore, the Fed has paused the rate hikes to avoid increasing the cost of placement and creating additional strain on the budget.

Experts underscore that if the interest rate is raised this year, we can expect a strengthening of the dollar. Against this backdrop, the EUR/USD pair confidently crossed the 1.0800 threshold and moved higher. The euro found balance while the greenback gained momentum for further growth. On Thursday morning, June 15, EUR/USD was trading at 1.0806, striving to reach new highs and establish a foothold at these levels.

Post FOMC meeting, the Fed's chief, Jerome Powell, held a press conference and commented on the monetary policy outlook. He emphasized the Fed's decision to maintain the federal funds rate at 5%-5.25%, stating that "rate cuts this year would be imprudent." However, the situation may change at the next meeting which will take place on July 25-26.

The FOMC statement underscored that US inflation remains high, but monetary authorities are aiming to bring it down to the target of 2%. According to the Fed Chairman, getting inflation back to 2% "is a long journey ahead." Meanwhile, the FOMC members remain very vigilant about inflationary risks.

Almost all FOMC members deem it appropriate to continue increasing rates in 2023. Special attention from the regulators is directed towards creating conditions for a "soft landing" of the US economy. The FOMC believes that this is facilitated by a strong US labor market, which is "gradually cooling down."

In addition, the Federal Reserve has published updated economic forecasts, which have been revised since the March meeting. The forecasts for US GDP growth in 2023 were raised, while they were slightly lowered for 2024-2025. As for the inflation forecast for this year, it has also been slightly worsened. However, the improvement in core inflation plans in the US provided a silver lining.

As for the median forecast for the key rate at the end of 2023, the situation is also positive: it was raised by 0.5% to a level of 5.6%. It's worth noting that this forecast anticipates two more rate hikes of 25 basis points each. As for the key rate forecast at the end of 2024, it was improved by 0.3% to the level of 4.6%, and at the end of 2025, also by 0.3% to 3.4%.

According to Jerome Powell's statement, rate increases should occur not abruptly but at a "moderate pace". The Fed chief believes that it will go hand in hand with a decrease in inflation. However, the latter will require US economic growth and "some easing of labor market conditions". Currently, markets are pricing in the probability of a 25 basis point rate hike at the next regulatory meeting scheduled for July 25-26. It is expected that this will once again help the dollar reach new highs.