USD - Major events in the week ahead

Events that marked the week:

On Tuesday Existing Home Sales figures were released. Total existing-home sales which are completed transactions that include single-family homes, townhomes, condominiums and co-ops, increased 2.0 percent to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 5.48 million in October from a downwardly revised 5.37 million in September. After last month's increase, sales are at their strongest pace since June (5.51 million), but still remain 0.9 percent below a year ago. Lawrence Yun, NAR chief economist, says sales activity in October picked up for the second straight month, with increases in all four major regions.

US Manufacturing PMI down to 53.8

November data pointed to another solid increase in U.S. private sector output, supported by sustained growth in both manufacturing and services activity. At 54.6, the seasonally adjusted IHS Markit Flash U.S. Composite PMI Output Index was above the 50.0 no-change threshold, but eased from 55.2 in October. As a result, the latest reading signalled the slowest expansion of private sector output since July. Despite a softer upturn in business activity, survey respondents indicated a robust and accelerated rise in new order volumes during November.

Fed doubts on inflation grow, but rate hike likely soon, minutes show

The Federal Reserve left the door open a crack for keeping interest rates unchanged until the end of year amid nagging doubts about the persistence of low inflation. Minutes of the Fed’s two-day meeting that ended Nov. 1 show the bank is still on track to raise interest rates soon, but the Fed used somewhat more ambiguous language than it did in September. “Many” Fed policymakers viewed an increase in the benchmark short-term rate as “warranted in the near term,” the minutes said. By contrast Fed officials in September agreed that a rate hike was likely “later this year.”

Durable Goods Orders down by 1.2%

New orders for key U.S.-made capital goods unexpectedly fell in October after three straight months of hefty gains, but a sustained increase in shipments pointed to robust business investment and economic momentum as the year winds down. The Commerce Department on Wednesday said orders for non-defense capital goods excluding aircraft, a closely watched proxy for business spending plans, declined 0.5 percent last month. That was the biggest drop since September 2016 and followed an upwardly revised 2.1 percent increase in September.