The US Dollar Index (DXY) steadied near 101.70 in Tuesday’s Asian session as markets weighed Middle East developments and awaited the US Consumer Price Index (CPI) release. Comments from US President Donald Trump pointing to an end to the Iran conflict were countered by Iran’s Supreme National Security Council secretary, who rejected reports of active negotiations and reiterated that Washington must meet seven conditions, keeping a geopolitical risk premium under the dollar.
Influence of Domestic Economic Data and Federal Reserve Policy
Domestic data also underpinned the greenback after Friday’s upbeat Nonfarm Payrolls (NFP) report reinforced expectations for further tightening by the Federal Reserve (Fed). CME Group’s FedWatch Tool showed traders pricing in over an 80% probability of another rate increase in December, although positioning remained cautious ahead of CPI as a guide to the policy path.
Role of CPI in Market Dynamics
CPI is tracked on month-on-month and year-on-year bases, with core CPI stripping out food and fuel; central banks typically target inflation around 2%, and deviations can shift rate expectations and, by extension, currency dynamics.
