USD Slumps on Data by Korman Tam

The dollar was dragged lower in the Tuesday session on the heels of lackluster US economic reports, plunging to a new record low versus the euro at 1.4154 and again falling to parity against the Loonie. We expect the greenback to remain under pressure over the coming months amid persistent worries that the US economy may slump into recession and the increased prospects for additional rate cuts from the FOMC.

The data released earlier in the session reinforced the pessimism surrounding the US economy, with consumer confidence and housing reports pointing toward further weakness. The Conference Board’s consumer confidence index tumbled to its lowest level in nearly 2-years, at 99.8 for September down sharply from August at 105.6. The dismal confidence figure reflects heightened market volatility, growing uncertainties stemming from the housing market and worries over the prospects of a US recession. There was also renewed evidence of the slumping housing market with existing home sales down 4.3% at 5.49 million units, versus 5.75 million units in July.