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Spread bets and CFDs are complex instruments and come with a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage. 69% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading spread bets and CFDs with this provider. You should consider whether you understand how spread bets and CFDs work, and whether you can afford to take the high risk of losing your money.

Traders eye USD volatility ahead of FOMC minutes

Forex traders will be keeping an eye on the USD today for any volatility with the release of the FOMC minutes tonight.

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The Federal Reserve made it clear that they will not lower interest rates until they see a decrease in inflation - and recent CPI data has shown that inflation is not going down as quickly as expected. We could therefore expect some upside on the dollar, as IGTV’s Angela Barnes explains.

(AI Video Summary)

The U.S. dollar

The value of the USD might change a lot soon because of some important reports coming out. Right now, the value of the dollar is not really going up or down, but that could change. The people who control the money in the U.S. have said that they will only lower interest rates if inflation goes down. But it seems like inflation is not going down as quickly as they thought, so the dollar could actually become more valuable.

The stock markets

The people who trade in the stock market are adjusting their predictions about when and if the government will lower interest rates. This has caused the value of the dollar to go up since the beginning of the year. There's a tool that shows the chances of the government lowering interest rates, and right now, the chances are pretty low for the next meeting in March. But the chances go up for the meeting in May, and by the meeting in June, it's almost certain that they will lower rates. These increasing chances of lowering rates could affect how much the dollar is worth.

So, to sum it up, the release of some important reports could make the value of the dollar change a lot. Right now, the value of the dollar is steady, but the government's stance on lowering rates and the slower-than-expected decrease in inflation might make the dollar more valuable. The predictions of the traders have also influenced the value of the dollar in recent months. It's unlikely that they will lower rates in the next meeting, but the chances go up for future meetings and this could affect the worth of the dollar.

This information has been prepared by IG, a trading name of IG Markets Limited. In addition to the disclaimer below, the material on this page does not contain a record of our trading prices, or an offer of, or solicitation for, a transaction in any financial instrument. IG accepts no responsibility for any use that may be made of these comments and for any consequences that result. No representation or warranty is given as to the accuracy or completeness of this information. Consequently any person acting on it does so entirely at their own risk. Any research provided does not have regard to the specific investment objectives, financial situation and needs of any specific person who may receive it. It has not been prepared in accordance with legal requirements designed to promote the independence of investment research and as such is considered to be a marketing communication. Although we are not specifically constrained from dealing ahead of our recommendations we do not seek to take advantage of them before they are provided to our clients. See full non-independent research disclaimer and quarterly summary.

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