iFOREX Daily Analysis – 15/09/2015

 | Sep 15, 2015 04:01AM ET

Currency traders are hesitant to make any major trades before the FOMC monetary policy statement on Thursday. Nearly a decade has passed since the U.S. Central Bank has raised its benchmark interest rate which remains between zero and 0.25% since December, 2008. Fed chair Janet Yellen has indicated that the FOMC will place a strong emphasis on the strength of the economy and labor markets, as it weighs the decision. In August, U.S. nonfarm payrolls increased by 173,000, below consensus estimates of a 223,000 gain. The unemployment rate, however, fell to 5.1%, its lowest level since April, 2008, prior to the start of the Financial Crisis. The Fed also reportedly remains concerned that weakness in the Chinese economy could affect the global markets at large, possibly forcing it to keep the Fed Funds Rate at its current level. The latest data from China provide further indications that the world's second-largest economy might fail to meet its annual growth target expectation of 7% for 2015. For today, the U.K. is to release data on consumer price inflation, in the euro zone, the ZEW Institute is to report on German economic sentiment and the U.S. is to publish data on retail sales, industrial production and manufacturing activity in the New York region.

EUR/USD

The euro ended in negative territory against the dollar on Monday, halting an eight-session winning streak, ahead of the start of a critical two-day Federal Open Market Committee meeting beginning on Wednesday. The currency pair fluctuated between a low of 1.1284 and a high of 1.1373 before settling 0.19% lower for the session. Last week, the euro rose to two-week highs against the dollar, after a wave of mixed U.S. economic data, which provided no clarity as to whether the Federal Reserve will raise interest rates on Thursday or not. In the euro zone, the ZEW Institute is to report on German economic sentiment. The U.S. is to publish data on retail sales, industrial production and manufacturing activity in the New York region.