Price of the Dollar in Brazil today, Friday, January 17: The Brazilian Real falls to three-day lows awaiting Trump’s inauguration

He dUS dollar rises to three-day highs against the Brazilian real at the beginning of the American session, registering gains for the second consecutive day.

He USD/BRL has risen this Friday to a three-day high at 6.0893 and a daily low at 6.0283.

The price of the USD/BRL is currently trading above 6.0778, gaining 0.46% so far this day.

Brazil awaits Trump’s inauguration

  • The Dollar is strengthening with an eye on Donald Trump’s inauguration next Monday, January 20. Announcements on immigration policy and the imposition of tariffs will be in the spotlight.
  • Donald Trump has promised a mass deportation of migrants, stating that he hopes to deport one million undocumented immigrants per year. On the other hand, threats to increase tariffs on certain key products could impact the Brazilian economy.
  • The Dollar has been boosted in recent minutes by industrial production data for December, which has grown 0.9% annually, exceeding the previous 0.2% and the 0.3% expected by the market.

US Dollar FAQs

The United States Dollar (USD) is the official currency of the United States of America, and the “de facto” currency of a significant number of other countries where it is in circulation alongside local banknotes. According to 2022 data, it is the most traded currency in the world, with more than 88% of all global currency exchange operations, equivalent to an average of $6.6 trillion in daily transactions. After World War II, the USD took over from the pound sterling as the world’s reserve currency.

The single most important factor influencing the value of the US Dollar is monetary policy, which is determined by the Federal Reserve (Fed). The Fed has two mandates: achieve price stability (control inflation) and promote full employment. Your main tool to achieve these two objectives is to adjust interest rates. When prices rise too quickly and inflation exceeds the 2% target set by the Fed, the Fed raises rates, which favors the price of the dollar. When Inflation falls below 2% or the unemployment rate is too high, the Fed can lower interest rates, which weighs on the Dollar.

In extreme situations, the Federal Reserve can also print more dollars and enact quantitative easing (QE). QE is the process by which the Fed substantially increases the flow of credit into a clogged financial system. This is an unconventional policy measure used when credit has dried up because banks do not lend to each other (for fear of counterparty default). It is a last resort when a simple lowering of interest rates is unlikely to achieve the necessary result. It was the Fed’s weapon of choice to combat the credit crunch that occurred during the Great Financial Crisis of 2008. It involves the Fed printing more dollars and using them to buy US government bonds, primarily from financial institutions. QE usually leads to a weakening of the US Dollar.

Quantitative tightening (QT) is the reverse process by which the Federal Reserve stops purchasing bonds from financial institutions and does not reinvest the principal of maturing portfolio securities in new purchases. It is usually positive for the US dollar.

Source: Fx Street

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