The US currency once again took advantage of rising inflation, soaring after the release of the consumer data index (CPI) in the US. However, "skimming the cream" after an inflationary turn, the dollar risks sinking in the medium and long-term planning horizons.
According to reports from the US Department of Labor, the inflation rate measured by the consumer price index (CPI) has soared to the highest in four decades. By the end of June, it reached 9.1% year-on-year, demonstrating the most significant increase since 1981. Recall that this indicator did not exceed 8.6% in May. At the same time, the expanded inflation indicator in the United States increased by 1.3%, which is the highest level since 2005. This indicator reflects the increase in prices for gasoline, housing and food.
Against this background, the US currency showed an incredible rise, sharply overtaking the euro in the EUR/USD pair. In the current situation, the euro sank by 0.3%, reaching 1.0004. As a result, the dollar, having tested another high, returned to parity with the euro after a short-term breakthrough. On Wednesday, July 13, the single currency fell to the level of 0.9998 for the first time since December 2002. Then the euro fell by 0.39% on the morning of Thursday, July 14, reaching 1.0020. Later, the EUR/USD pair traded at 0.0023, unsuccessfully trying to get out of the price hole.
The sharp spurt of the dollar amid the rise in consumer prices was accompanied by a violation of parity on the part of the euro. After the release of US inflation data, the euro slipped below the parity level in the EUR/USD pair. According to analysts at Commonwealth Bank of Australia, the parity of both currencies, settled at 0.9900, remains the lower limit for the EUR/USD pair. In the future, currency strategists expect consolidation to come in tandem.
Movements in the EUR/USD pair are taking place amid rapidly growing inflation, which has accelerated significantly after reaching a high over the past 40 years. Further strengthening of inflation increases the risk of an aggressive rate hike by the Federal Reserve. According to analysts, this will trigger a recession in the near future. At the same time, concerns about the recession provide significant support to the greenback.
According to Rafael Bostic, president of the Atlanta Fed, extremely high inflation leaves the US central bank no choice in raising interest rates, which is likely to be resolved positively. This statement was supplemented by Wells Fargo analysts, explaining that the Fed will need several monthly inflation indicators to make a final decision on the rate. Regarding the June consumer price index (CPI), experts expected that it "will be hot, but this report just burns." Recall that consumer price inflation in the United States outstripped already inflated expectations, soaring by 1.3%. In annual terms, prices rose by 9.1%, which is a new cyclical high.
According to experts, a steady increase in prices for basic goods, recorded for two months, is extremely undesirable for the Fed. The central bank seeks to weaken core inflation in the consumer goods segment amid a rapid rise in the cost of food and energy. However, progress in this matter is minimal so far.
In such a situation, the greenback was the winner, drawing strength from the unwinding of the inflationary spiral. However, there is a walk on thin ice here: in the long term, the USD risks to sink significantly. At the moment, the dollar feels confident, demonstrating its importance to the world. The recent aggressive USD rally indicates that the US currency acted as a shield for the population of the United States suffering from extremely high inflation.
In the current situation, the purchasing power of American imports is increasing. Note that a strong dollar provides protection from inflation in the form of cheaper imports. However, Morgan Stanley analysts believe that the strengthening USD adds risks for the Fed, as a strong national currency makes it difficult for the central bank to cool demand. Such a situation provokes further tightening of the monetary policy or leads to stagflation. Recall that with stagflation, high inflation persists, but economic growth slows down significantly.
Another important factor undermining the strength of the dollar in the EUR/USD pair remains the cardinal difference in the monetary strategies of the Fed and the European Central Bank. This year, the US central bank has raised rates by 1.50%, and the European one is still in thought, although inflation in the eurozone is also breaking records. The gap between the Fed and ECB rates will grow after the June consumer price index in the United States showed a new 40-year high. At the same time, experts do not rule out that this month the ECB will begin its rate hike cycle, but with a smaller step – 0.25%.
In the long term, the strengthening of the greenback will contribute to further tightening of financial conditions. Against this background, the Fed continues to reduce its balance sheet, Morgan Stanley emphasizes. As a result, a strong dollar increases the risk of a recession in the United States, which many investors consider inevitable.
