Here’s what you need to know on Friday, February 27th.
For the week ending February 21, new jobless claims totaled 212,000. This number is a touch lower than the 215,000 that economists had anticipated, though it’s slightly up from the earlier figure of 208,000. Continuing insurance claims also saw a dip, coming in at 1,833,000, which suggests that labor market conditions are stabilizing.
The US Dollar Index (DXY) has bounced back some from its losses on Wednesday and is sitting around 97.90. This comes despite comments from Federal Reserve Governor Stephen Milan, who reiterated his dovish view and mentioned a potential 1% interest rate cut by year-end. “At the moment, prices appear stable,” he noted, adding that he doesn’t perceive an inflation issue in the U.S.
USD price today
The table below outlines the percentage change of the US dollar (USD) against other major currencies today, with the USD showing strength specifically against the British pound.
| USD | EUR | GBP | JPY | CAD | AUD | NZD | CHF | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| USD | 0.09% | 0.50% | -0.14% | 0.02% | 0.16% | 0.23% | 0.16% | |
| EUR | -0.09% | 0.40% | -0.22% | -0.07% | 0.07% | 0.14% | 0.08% | |
| GBP | -0.50% | -0.40% | -0.61% | -0.47% | -0.34% | -0.26% | -0.33% | |
| JPY | 0.14% | 0.22% | 0.61% | 0.16% | 0.30% | 0.36% | 0.31% | |
| CAD | -0.02% | 0.07% | 0.47% | -0.16% | 0.14% | 0.21% | 0.14% | |
| AUD | -0.16% | -0.07% | 0.34% | -0.30% | -0.14% | 0.07% | 0.03% | |
| NZD | -0.23% | -0.14% | 0.26% | -0.36% | -0.21% | -0.07% | -0.06% | |
| CHF | -0.16% | -0.08% | 0.33% | -0.31% | -0.14% | -0.03% | 0.06% |
EUR/USD is currently hovering around the 1.1790 mark, which is a slight dip from earlier peaks of the day. Earlier this week, European Central Bank (ECB) President Christine Lagarde expressed a confident yet cautious outlook, suggesting that food price pressures may ease by 2026 and that inflation is on track to reach 2% in the medium term.
The British pound (GBP) is trading near the 1.3480 level. There’s a growing buzz around the potential for the Bank of England (BoE) to lower interest rates at its upcoming March meeting, especially following Governor Andrew Bailey’s indication that a rate cut is a “real open question.”
AUD/USD is around 0.7100. Despite a narrower range of intraday losses, the deficit persists, even with Australia’s inflation data coming in stronger than expected. This has boosted the likelihood that the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) might stick to its tighter policy, which could support the Australian dollar.
USD/JPY has dipped to roughly 156.20, remaining neutral after a day of volatility. The upcoming Tokyo Consumer Price Index (CPI) for February could influence the direction of USD/JPY.
Gold is currently priced at $5,185. Its value seems limited as geopolitical tensions rise, even with the third round of talks between the US and Iran taking place in Geneva.
Here’s what’s next on the docket:
Friday, February 27th:
- Switzerland’s fourth quarter GDP.
- Germany’s February CPI.
- German February flash HICP.
- Canada’s fourth quarter GDP.
- US Producer Price Index (PPI).
