In the Asian session on Thursday (April 20), the U.S. dollar index rose, with the latest price of the U.S. dollar at 101.95, an increase of 0.01%. Economic growth has stalled in recent weeks, with hiring and inflation slowing and access to credit narrowing, the Fed‘s Beige Book showed. Overall economic activity has not changed much, and expectations for future economic growth remain largely unchanged.
Reports from several jurisdictions point to banks tightening credit standards due to heightened uncertainty and concerns about liquidity. Most jurisdictions reported stable or increasing demand and sales of non-financial services. Agricultural conditions have remained largely unchanged in recent weeks, while energy markets have softened. The Fed’s Goolsbee said that it is still waiting to see whether there are other credit issues to be resolved, and that it needs to pay attention to the price and credit situation in the two weeks before the next meeting.
