| Time | Country | Event | Period | Previous value | Forecast | Actual |
|---|
| 01:45 | China | Markit/Caixin Services PMI | December | 52.1 | | 53.1 |
| 07:00 | Germany | Factory Orders s.a. (MoM) | November | -5.8% | 2.1% | 3.7% |
During today's Asian trading, the US dollar rose against most major currencies, but declined against the yen.
Demand for the yen and other safe haven assets increased after the publication of the minutes of the December meeting of the Federal Reserve System, which showed the "hawkish" attitude of the leaders of the Fed.
"The participants of the meeting mainly noted that, taking into account their own forecasts for the economy, the labor market and inflation, a rate hike or a faster pace of its rise may be required sooner than previously expected," the minutes published on Wednesday showed.
Some of the Fed's leaders also drew attention to the fact that soon after the rate increase, the Fed may have to start reducing the amount of assets on the balance sheet.
Investors were taken by surprise by a more "hawkish" than expected tone of the minutes of the December meeting, analysts say. Plans to reduce the volume of assets on the balance sheet and aggressive rate hikes, hinted at by the protocol, raise concerns that the momentum for economic growth may be halted.
The ICE index, which tracks the dynamics of the dollar against six currencies (euro, swiss franc, yen, canadian dollar, pound sterling and swedish krona), rose 0.21%.