Back To All Posts
Forex July 16, 2026

Dollar Remains Soft After US Inflation Data; Euro Holds Above 1.146 as Yen Stays Under Pressure Near 162

Federal Reserve - Foreign exchange market July 16, 2026

As of approximately 5:15 a.m. US Eastern Time, or 5:15 p.m. Beijing time, the US dollar remained under pressure following softer-than-expected consumer and producer inflation reports.

The Dollar Index traded near 100.50, EUR/USD remained close to 1.1465, and Sterling held above 1.35. USD/JPY stayed near 162, reflecting continued pressure on the Japanese Yen from wide interest-rate differentials.

Currency-pair quotes were captured between approximately 5:00 and 5:15 a.m. Eastern Time. The Dollar Index quote was delayed.

Market Overview

FX Indicator Latest Quote Intraday Change Intraday Range
US Dollar Index100.48-0.01%100.44-100.56
EUR/USD1.1465-0.01%1.1460-1.1477
GBP/USD1.3519-0.14%1.3515-1.3545
USD/JPY162.15-0.02%161.98-162.22
AUD/USD0.7000-0.03%0.6986-0.7011
USD/CNY6.7679Broadly unchanged6.7663-6.7708
USD/MYR4.0735-0.06%4.0605-4.0780

The Dollar Index declined approximately 0.42% over five trading days and 0.37% over one month, although it remained about 2.19% higher year to date.

Global and Macro Context

US Consumer Inflation Cools

The US Consumer Price Index declined 0.4% month over month in June, the largest monthly decline since April 2020. Annual inflation slowed to 3.5%, while core CPI was unchanged on the month and rose 2.6% from a year earlier.

The report reduced expectations of a July Federal Reserve rate increase and pushed the dollar and Treasury yields lower.

Producer Prices Reinforce the Trend

The Producer Price Index for final demand declined 0.3% in June. Goods prices fell 1.4%, while services prices increased 0.2%. Annual producer inflation remained elevated at 5.5%.

The combination of softer CPI and PPI data reduced some of the dollar's interest-rate support.

Federal Reserve Direction Remains Uncertain

Softer inflation reduced the urgency for another rate increase, but higher oil prices and geopolitical risks could revive inflation pressure. The dollar therefore remains highly sensitive to employment, retail-sales and inflation data.

Oil and Geopolitics Drive Currency Divergence

Higher oil prices can support energy-exporting currencies such as the Canadian Dollar and selected commodity currencies. However, a severe geopolitical escalation may strengthen defensive demand for the US Dollar and Swiss Franc.

Major Currency Highlights

US Dollar

DXY traded near 100.48 and remained close to the lower end of its recent range. Falling rate-hike expectations pressured the dollar, although relatively high US interest rates continued to prevent a decisive breakdown.

Euro

EUR/USD traded near 1.1465. Broad dollar weakness remained the main driver, while still-elevated European inflation limited expectations of aggressive European Central Bank easing. The main short-term resistance area is approximately 1.1480-1.1500.

British Pound

GBP/USD traded near 1.3519. Sterling remained supported by dollar weakness and expectations that UK interest rates may stay elevated, although profit-taking could emerge between 1.3550 and 1.3600.

Japanese Yen

USD/JPY traded near 162.15, close to its 52-week high of 162.85. Interest-rate differentials continued to weigh on the Yen. A move above 163 could sharply increase sensitivity to Japanese intervention warnings.

Australian Dollar

AUD/USD traded near 0.7000. The currency received support from dollar weakness and selected Chinese economic indicators, although slower Chinese headline growth limited the upside.

Chinese Yuan

USD/CNY traded near 6.7679 in a narrow range. The Yuan was supported by the weaker dollar, while domestic growth, monetary policy and capital flows remained important variables.

Malaysian Ringgit

USD/MYR traded near 4.0735, representing a modest strengthening of the Ringgit. Dollar weakness and elevated energy prices provided support, while foreign capital flows and Bank Negara Malaysia policy remained key drivers.

Currency Pairs to Watch

Currency Pair Reason to Watch
DXYBroad direction of the US Dollar
EUR/USDMain measure of US-European rate expectations
GBP/USDUK inflation and Bank of England policy
USD/JPYCarry trades and intervention risk
AUD/USDChina and commodity-demand indicator
USD/CNYChinese growth, policy and capital flows
USD/MYRDollar, energy prices and Malaysian fund flows
USD/CHFGlobal defensive positioning

For observation only; this report does not constitute investment advice.

Outlook

Immediate reference ranges are approximately 100.20-101.00 for DXY, 1.1400-1.1520 for EUR/USD, 1.3400-1.3600 for GBP/USD and 161-163 for USD/JPY.

Further cooling in US economic data could push DXY toward or below 100 and support additional gains in the Euro and Sterling.

A renewed oil-driven increase in inflation, or stronger-than-expected US employment and consumer data, could send the Dollar Index back above 101. A USD/JPY break above 163 would place Japanese intervention risks firmly back in focus.