The dollar index (USDX) fell 0.3% to 100.482, having earlier touched its lowest point since last year. In August, the dollar has dropped 2.92%, setting it on track for its largest monthly decline since November 2022.
The greenback weakened further after data showed US house prices dipped 0.1% month-on-month in June, following an unchanged reading in May. On a year-over-year basis, house prices increased by 5.1%, marking the smallest annual gain since July 2023.
Tuesday's report also indicated that US consumer confidence rose in August, with the Conference Board's Consumer Confidence Index increasing to 103.3, up from a revised 101.9 in July. However, the market reaction to this data was muted.
According to LSEG calculations, the rate futures market currently reflects a 37% chance that the Fed will opt for a 50-bps cut, unchanged from late Friday. Futures traders are pricing in approximately 106 bps of cuts throughout 2024.
In Corporate news, investors are eagerly awaiting Nvidia's quarterly report today and upcoming economic data, which could provide insights into the future direction of interest rate cuts. Nvidia's stock has surged 159% in 2024, positioning it as a major beneficiary of advancements in AI technology. The company's upcoming results follow recent concerns over rising expenditures by major tech firms like Microsoft and Alphabet as they vie for leadership in the burgeoning AI space.
Investors are now looking ahead to the preliminary estimate for second-quarter gross domestic product (GDP), jobless claims, and the personal consumption expenditures (PCE) index, the Federal Reserve’s preferred measure of inflation.
Gold
Gold prices edged higher on Tuesday, driven by a weaker US dollar, as investors looked ahead to key inflation data that could shed light on the scale of the anticipated interest rate cut by the Federal Reserve next month.
Gold continues to hold above the $2,500 per-ounce psychological level, and it is on track for its best performance since 2020, fuelled by investor optimism over upcoming U.S. rate cuts and ongoing concerns about geopolitical tensions in the Middle East.
Investors are now awaiting the release of the Personal Consumption Expenditures (PCE) data, a crucial inflation report and the Federal Reserve's preferred gauge of inflation, due on Friday.