Dollar Holds Advance After Mixed Data

The dollar index remained stable at around 98.7 on Thursday following a two-day increase, as investors evaluated a mixed batch of US economic figures and reconsidered the Federal Reserve's future policy actions. November saw job openings decline more than predicted, indicating a decreasing demand for labor, while December's private payroll growth fell short of expectations. Conversely, ISM data revealed an unexpected uptick in services-sector activity for the previous month. Attention now shifts to the upcoming weekly jobless claims on Thursday and the December employment report on Friday, which are expected to provide further insights into the labor market conditions. Currently, markets are factoring in nearly a 90% likelihood that the Fed will hold interest rates steady at its next meeting, though multiple rate cuts are anticipated by traders later in the year. The dollar saw widespread strengthening, notably against the euro, as indications of waning inflation in Europe exerted pressure on the single currency.