News
US dollar news and guides: page 2
Central bank decisions, economic data, gold and oil, and plain-English guides to how currency trading works. Every article links to its primary sources.
More articles
US home prices rise 1.9% in the year to July as Chicago leads and Seattle falls 1.6%
The S&P Cotality Case-Shiller national index gained 1.9% on the year, up from 1.6% in June, but S&P says home prices fell in real terms for a 14th consecutive month.
US employers add just 29,000 jobs in September, and July's payrolls are revised to a loss of 10,000
The unemployment rate rose to 4.2% from 4.1%, and the Bureau of Labor Statistics cut a combined 60,000 jobs from July and August. Average hourly earnings rose 0.1% and are 3.0% higher than a year earlier.
US PCE inflation is 3.4% in August as consumer spending jumps 0.9% and real incomes stall
The Fed's preferred inflation gauge rose 0.3% on the month, with core PCE up 3.0% on the year. Spending rose $190.8 billion while real disposable income was unchanged and the saving rate was 4.1%.
US GDP growth is revised up to 2.2% for the second quarter from 1.5% in the third estimate
The Bureau of Economic Analysis lifted growth by 0.7 percentage point on upward revisions to investment, consumer spending and government spending, and said first-quarter growth was 2.5%. Real final sales to private domestic purchasers rose 4.6%.
US factory input prices jump to 77.9 in the ISM survey as services growth cools to 54.9
The ISM manufacturing prices index rose 6.8 points to 77.9 while the PMI held at 54.5, a ninth month of growth. The services PMI slipped to 54.9, its 27th month of expansion, with business activity down to 56.5.
The US 10-year Treasury yield closes at 5.29%, its highest since May 2002
Treasury's own par yield curve data show the 10-year yield rose 53 basis points between 31 August and 2 October. The 2-year closed at 4.92% on 28 September, the highest since May 2024, and the 30-year at 5.64%.
US business activity hits a five-year high in September as UK growth slows and prices rise
S&P Global's flash composite PMI jumped to 58.4 in the US and 53.1 in the eurozone, while the UK's fell to 51.7 on softer new business and rising input costs.
Flash PMIs on 23 September: release times, and what the US, eurozone and UK showed in August
Update: the September flash PMIs are out — the US hit a 62-month high at 58.4, the eurozone rose to 53.1 and the UK slowed to 51.7. This preview has the release times and August's baseline.
Week ahead, 21–25 September 2026: flash PMIs, the SNB, Norges Bank, the Riksbank and Australian jobs
Update: the week's releases are out, from the flash PMIs to the SNB, Norges Bank and Riksbank decisions, Australian jobs and Canadian retail sales, and US PCE inflation and GDP followed on 30 September.
US industrial production is unchanged in August as factory output falls 0.3% after seven straight gains
The Federal Reserve said total output was flat after rising 0.2% in July. A 0.3% fall in manufacturing was offset by a 1.8% jump in utilities, and capacity utilization stayed at 76.3%.
US housing starts fall 2.6% to 1.275 million in August as building permits slip 2.7%
The Census Bureau said single-family starts rose 7.6% to 918,000 while apartment building slowed, and completions dropped 11.9%. Most of the monthly moves are within the survey's margin of error.
Foreign purchases of long-term US securities slow to $40.6 billion in July from $208.9 billion in June
Treasury's capital-flows report shows net inflows of $83.7 billion in July. Foreign official institutions bought $44.4 billion of long-term securities while private investors were net sellers of $3.7 billion.
BIS Quarterly Review: government bond yields climbed, term premiums rose and the dollar gave back its July gains
The Bank for International Settlements says 10-year yields rose by 24 to 34 basis points in major economies over its review period, and that the US Treasury's buyback plan of 19 August lowered yields and the dollar only briefly.
The central bank week that changed the market: 15–18 September 2026
The Fed hiked, the BoE held on a split vote and the BoJ raised its rate to 1.25% — three decisions in four days that reset the rate map. Here is the week's full picture and what it changed for every currency.
US inflation at 3.4%: reading the Fed's next move
US inflation rose to 3.4% in August with core at 2.4% — the gap that framed the Fed's September hike. Here is the print's anatomy and what it says about the path ahead.
US retail sales jumped 1.2%: what it means for the dollar
US retail sales rose 1.2% in August after a July fall — the consumer's resilience in one number. Here is what the rebound says about growth, the Fed's path and the dollar.
Gold below its January record: what changed
Gold set a record of $5,589 in January and traded near $4,300 in September. Here is what changed in between — real yields, the dollar and the fear premium — and what it means for the metal now.
How to trade correlated pairs without doubling your risk
Two trades on correlated pairs are often one trade twice the size. Here is how to measure the correlation, group your exposure, and keep several positions from becoming one bet.
How to build a carry trade: yield, swap and unwind risk
A carry trade earns the interest difference between two currencies — and survives on risk rules, because the unwind is violent. Here is how to construct one properly.
The 2026 yen intervention: what happened and what's next
Japan and the US intervened jointly in July to support the yen — a rare coordination that still shapes every yen trade. Here is what happened, why it worked, and what the authorities do next.
Brent above $100: what it means for currencies
Brent has traded above $100 a barrel since early September as Hormuz shipping dwindles. Here is what triple-digit oil does to the commodity currencies, the importers and the inflation picture.
The September 2026 energy inflation shock, explained
Fuel prices are pushing inflation up across the UK, the US and Canada — and the central banks are answering differently. Here is the shock's anatomy, its fingerprints in the data, and what it means for currencies.
What the Fed's September 2026 rate hike means for your trading
The Fed raised rates by a quarter point on 16 September — its first hike since 2023 — and its projections show rates staying near 4% through 2027. Here is what the decision, the dots and the dollar's reaction mean for every pair.
What is forward guidance? How central banks steer expectations
Central banks tell markets what they are likely to do next, so the future is priced before it happens. Here is what forward guidance is, how it works, and why the guidance sometimes fails.
Basis points, pips and percentages: the units traders actually use
Central banks move rates in basis points, charts move in pips and accounts measure in percentages — three units for the same market. Here is what each means and how to convert between them.
Why trading sessions matter: liquidity through the day
The forex market trades around the clock, but the liquidity does not — it flows through Sydney, Tokyo, London and New York in waves. Here is what each session brings and why the clock matters as much as the chart.
How the forex market is structured: who's on the other side of your trade
The forex market has no central exchange — it is a layered network of banks, brokers and liquidity providers. Here is the structure, who sits on the other side of your order, and why it matters.
Margin calls and stop-outs: the exact mechanics
A margin call is the broker's warning, and the stop-out is the moment positions close automatically. Here is the exact sequence, the numbers that trigger it, and how to never meet it.
How to read a broker's contract specifications
The symbol specification window holds the answers to most trading complaints — spreads, swaps, margin, lot sizes, trading hours. Here is how to read it and what each field actually means.
What happens to your money when a broker fails?
When a broker goes under, what happens to client money depends on segregation, the regulator and the compensation scheme. Here is the process, the protections and the gaps.
Why spreads widen at news and rollover
The spread you see at 3 p.m. is not the spread you get at 8:30. Here is what liquidity actually does to spreads, when the widening hits, and how to plan around the worst windows.
What is rollover in forex? Swap, value dates and the 5 p.m. window
Every weekday around 5 p.m. New York time, open positions are rolled to the next value date and swap is charged. Here is what rollover actually is, why triple swap exists, and what it costs you.
Oil and inflation: how energy prices reach currency pairs
Oil prices feed inflation, inflation feeds central banks, and central banks feed currencies — the chain runs from Brent to every pair on the board. Here is the full transmission, with the current cycle as the case study.
Gold and real yields: the relationship that explains everything
Gold pays no interest, so it competes with what bonds pay after inflation — real yields. Here is what real yields are, how to read them, and why they explain gold's moves better than the dollar ever does.
How to read risk sentiment in five minutes
Risk sentiment decides which pairs trend and which reverse before any data lands. Here is a five-minute morning read — the instruments that show the mood and what they mean for your pairs.
How the 10-year Treasury yield moves forex
Traders say 'watch the 10-year' as if it were obvious — and for the dollar pairs it nearly is. Here is what the yield actually measures, how it reaches currencies, and which pairs track it closest.
US posts a $166.8 billion deficit in August as the yearly gap tops $1.96 trillion
The Treasury took in $360.0 billion and spent $526.8 billion in August 2026, the department's Monthly Treasury Statement shows, with the deficit for the fiscal year to date at $1.966 trillion.
Philly Fed manufacturing index falls to 37.8 as its outlook gauge tumbles
The Manufacturing Business Outlook Survey's current activity index dropped from 47.4 in August, and the six-month-ahead index fell from 73.6 to 52.9, the regional Fed bank said on 17 September.
US crude oil inventories edge down as refineries slow processing
Commercial crude stocks fell 0.6 million barrels to 423.4 million, 1% above the five-year average, the Energy Information Administration said, while total petroleum inventories rose 2.6 million barrels.
Why one word from a central banker can move a currency
Central bank statements are written in a coded language, and the market hangs on every word change. Here is how the code works, which words carry weight, and how to read a statement like a trader.
