EUR/USD has ticked higher in the Friday session. Currently, the pair is trading at 1.2339, up 0.10% on the day. On the release front, German Final CPI edged lower to 0.4%, matching the estimate. The US will release UoM Consumer Sentiment, which is expected to drop to 100.6 points.
Tensions continue to simmer in the Middle East, as Syria braces for a strike by the United States. President Trump has vowed to respond to an alleged chemical attack by Syrian forces, and a US navy task force is sailing towards Syria. Russia has promised to shoot down any US missiles, and relations between the US and Russia have nosedived. The US has received support from France and the UK, and if the US does carry out a military strike, the currency markets could respond with volatility.
The Federal Reserve minutes from the March meeting were hawkish in tone, reflective of a solid US economy. All of the Fed policymakers indicated that the US economy would continue to improve and that inflation would rise in the next few months. At the March meeting, the Fed unanimously voted to raise rates by a quarter-point, bringing the benchmark rate to a range between 1.50% and 1.75%. The Fed projection for rate policy in 2018 remains at three hikes, although there is speculation that the Fed could revise the forecast to four rate hikes. Last week, Fed Chair Jerome Powell said that the Fed would likely continue to raise rates in order to keep a lid on inflation, but added that the rate moves would be gradual. A new headache for the Fed is the escalating trade battle between the US and China, which could hurt the economy and raise consumer prices. The Fed is expected to sit tight in May and raise rates at the June meeting.
