ForexLive European FX news wrap: Dollar mostly steady ahead of NFP

Headlines:

• Welcome to NFP day
• What is the distribution of forecasts for the US NFP?
• European stocks look to continue winning streak to wrap up the week
• BOE’s Dhingra: We should be easing policy more
• Eurozone Q3 final GDP +0.4% vs +0.4% q/q second estimate
• Germany October industrial production -1.0% vs +1.2% m/m expected
• France October trade balance -€7.67 billion vs -€8.27 billion prior
• UK November Halifax house prices +1.3% vs +0.2% m/m expected
• UK trade minister says will think carefully about retaliating against Trump tariffs

Markets:

• CHF leads, NZD lags on the day
• European equities higher; S&P 500 futures down 0.1%
• US 10-year yields flat at 4.181%
• Gold up 0.3% to $2,639.48
• WTI crude down 1.0% to $67.60
• Bitcoin down 0.6% to $98,451

It was a quiet session in European morning trade today and understandably so. Market players are all waiting for the US non-farm payrolls release later to wrap up the week. So, that is leaving for very little conviction in broader markets before we get to that.

The dollar is sitting steadier, with USD/JPY slightly higher in a push from 150.50 to 150.50 during the session. It doesn’t really mean all too much though, with price still keeping below its 200-hour moving average of 150.75 for now. The bond market also isn’t offering much to work with as Treasury yields are flat on the day.

Besides that, the dollar is lightly changed against the European currencies but is seen up against the antipodeans. The gains there already came in Asia trading and were sustained during the session with AUD/USD down 0.5% to 0.6420 and NZD/USD down 0.6% to 0.5850 currently.

In other markets, US futures remain more tentative awaiting the jobs data before taking a run at things. As for European indices, investors are keeping up the optimism to make it five for five in trading this week. That follows from a more cautious start earlier in the day. French stocks in particular are outperforming, shrugging off the political quagmire in Paris.

Elsewhere, gold is just a touch higher but remains in more sideways action this week while oil prices are pinned down after yesterday’s disappointing reaction to the OPEC+ decision. As for Bitcoin, profit-taking led to a drop under $100,000 overnight and that is still sticking as we look to the non-farm payrolls data later.

This article was written by Justin Low at www.forexlive.com.