iFOREX Daily Analysis : June 29,2017

 | Jun 29, 2017 04:30AM ET

The dollar extended losses against most major currencies on Wednesday, pressured by a surge in both the pound and Canadian dollar, after central bank governors from both the Bank of England and the Bank of Canada hinted that they could reduce current stimulus measures.

Expectations for tighter monetary policy measures from Bank of England and Bank of Canada provide significant support to both the sterling and the Canadian dollar.

In addition, the U.S. the Senate’s decision to delay a vote on a health-care bill to repeal and replace Obamacare weighed on dollar sentiment, as investors questioned whether the delay would derail President Trump’s plan to introduce pro-growth economic measures such as tax-reform.

Meanwhile pending home sales in the U.S. unexpectedly declined in May for a third straight month, dampening optimism over the health of the housing sector, industry data showed on Wednesday.

In a report, the National Association of Realtors (NAR) said its pending home sales index decreased by a seasonally adjusted 0.8% last month, compared to expectations for a gain of 0.8%.

For today, Germany is to publish preliminary data on inflation and later in the day, the U.S. is to release revised data on first quarter growth and a report on initial jobless claims.

GBP/USD

The sterling surged to a post-election high of $1.2973 against the dollar on Wednesday, up more 1%, after Bank of England governor Mark Carney, appeared to reverse his recent assertion that there ‘was no need to raise rates soon’, hinting that a rate hike may be in the plans for the near future, suggesting that “some removal of monetary stimulus is likely to become necessary”.

Speaking at a European Central Bank forum in Portugal, Carney said that policymakers would need to look at the extent to which stronger business investment is offset by weaker consumption, as well as growth in wages and labor costs.

U.S. data on first quarter growth and a report on initial jobless claims will be in the spotlight for today.