Fedspeak also stokes Mexican Peso weakness against USD

The Mexican Peso’s sharp decline was not caused solely by the flight to safety from Israel’s retaliation, but in the case of its most traded pair, the USD/MXN, also because of the impact of more hawkish talk from rate-setters at the US Federal Reserve (Fed). 

From expecting three 0.25% interest rate cuts from the Fed in 2024, the mood music now coming out of the US central bank suggests officials only expect one, possibly two, and in extreme cases no cuts to the Fed Funds Rate materializing this year. 

Atlanta Fed President Raphael Bostic said on Thursday that US inflation is returning to the Fed’s 2.0% target at a slower pace than anticipated and that interest-rate cuts are likely – but not until year-end. 

New York Fed President John Williams went further, saying he didn’t feel an urgency to cut interest rates and that monetary policy is in a good place.

US data also arguably supported the notion that borrowing costs are where they should be due to inflationary tendencies.

The Index of Prices Paid component of the Philadelphia Fed Manufacturing Survey – a regional barometer of inflation – surged unexpectedly to 23.00 (prior 3.7) in April, suggesting price pressures remain very much alive and kicking. 

A steady reading for Initial Jobless Claims further reinforced the view that the US labor market is tight and likely to continue to stoke inflation. 

Since higher inflation will require the maintenance of higher interest rates to combat it, the odds of the Federal Reserve cutting interest rates keep falling. This is positive for the US Dollar since higher interest rates tend to increase foreign capital inflows