Insights 
VT 
The United States Redbook Index increased to 5.7% year-on-year by the end of October, up from a previous 5.2%. This index measures retail sales activity, reflecting consumer spending and economic trends.
EUR/USD dropped below 1.1500, reaching levels not seen since August, as the US Dollar showed strength. GBP/USD also weakened, hitting lows last seen in April, amid borrowing cost remarks from the UK Chancellor.
Gold Prices and Cryptocurrency Market Trends
Gold prices fell, touching three-day lows near $3,930 per ounce, pressured by a strong US Dollar. Meanwhile, Ethereum traded just above $3,500, influenced by broader negative sentiment in the cryptocurrency market.
The Balancer platform faces scrutiny after a $120 million hack, affecting old pools. This incident added to ongoing security concerns surrounding decentralised financial platforms.
In speculative markets, there is uncertainty about the US economic outlook and potential challenges to the Dollar’s strength. Upcoming central bank meetings and US data releases are expected to impact market movements.
The jump in the Redbook index to 5.7% is a clear signal that the US consumer is still spending robustly as we head into the holiday season. This renewed strength complicates the picture for the Federal Reserve, making a potential interest rate cut in December less likely. We are seeing this reflected in the fed funds futures market, where the probability of a December cut has now fallen to just 25%, down from over 70% a month ago.
Upcoming Data and Market Speculation
Consequently, the US Dollar is showing intense strength, pushing EUR/USD below the key 1.1500 support level that held for most of the third quarter of 2025. Upcoming data, like the ISM Services PMI which just printed a strong 54.2, will likely reinforce this dollar dominance. Sterling is also under pressure, hitting multi-month lows around 1.3020 as the UK’s economic outlook appears less certain.
This environment is creating headwinds for assets like gold, which has pulled back to the $3,930 level. A stronger dollar and the decreasing likelihood of a Fed rate cut make holding the non-yielding metal less attractive for now. Traders should watch for a potential break of the $3,900 support level if this week’s ADP jobs report shows another solid month of gains, as we expect around 195,000.
For options traders, this creates a tricky situation where underlying trends appear strong but could reverse on a single piece of data. Looking back at similar periods in 2024, strong consumer data often preceded spikes in volatility as the market debated the Fed’s next move. We should consider strategies that benefit from this uncertainty, perhaps using puts on currency ETFs like FXE to hedge against further euro weakness.
The broader risk-off sentiment is also evident in the crypto markets, with Ethereum dropping below $3,500. This suggests that traders are currently favoring the safety of the dollar over more speculative assets. This pattern is consistent with market behavior we observed during the tightening cycle of 2023, where dollar strength often coincided with weakness in digital assets.
