The dollar index (DXY00) fell to a 1-week low on Wednesday and finished down by -0.48%. The dollar tumbled on Wednesday after the FOMC kept interest rates unchanged. The dollar moved higher briefly early on Wednesday after crude oil prices surged more than +6% when President Trump said the US will “hit Iran hard” after a recent attack from Iran that targeted a US base in Jordan. The jump in crude prices raises inflation expectations and could prompt the Fed to tighten monetary policy, a supportive factor for the dollar.
The FOMC, as expected, kept the fed funds target range unchanged at 3.50% to 3.75% in a 9-3 vote, with Cleveland Fed President Beth Hammack, Minneapolis Fed President Neel Kashkari, and Dallas Fed President Lorie Logan voting for a quarter-point rate hike.
