- The US ISM Services PMI is seen improving a tad in July.
- The US services sector is expected to remain within expansionary territory.
- Investors continue to favour approximately two rate cuts from the Fed this year.
On Tuesday, the Institute for Supply Management (ISM) will unveil its July Services PMI, and analysts expect it to edge up to 51.5 from June’s 50.8. That would mark a second straight month of growth in the services sector — a sign of its resilience and a boost to confidence in the wider US economy.
That said, not all readings were uniformly strong in the previous month. The ISM Employment Index slipped back into contraction territory at 47.2, while the New Orders Index rebounded to 51.3, signalling firmer demand for services. On the cost front, the Prices Paid Index inched down to 67.5 from 68.7, a reminder that price pressure remains persistent.
What to expect from the ISM Services PMI report?
Inflation in the US is still running hotter than the Fed’s 2.0% goal, keeping policymakers on edge—especially as the full impact of recent tariffs on the broader economy is yet to play out.
Last week’s PCE report underlined the point: headline inflation climbed to 2.6% from a year earlier in June (up from May’s 2.4% and above most forecasts), while core PCE—stripping out food and energy—remained stubbornly steady at 2.8%.
In that light, an ISM Services PMI reading that simply meets expectations is unlikely to budge the US Dollar: it would reinforce the sense of a still-resilient economy despite persistent price pressure. But if the services sector were to soften more sharply than anticipated, it could unsettle markets and prompt investors to lighten up on the Greenback amid worries about a loss of economic momentum.
When will the ISM Services Purchasing Managers Index report be released, and how could it affect EUR/USD?
The Institute for Supply Management (ISM) will publish the Services Purchasing Managers Index (PMI) on Tuesday at 14:00 GMT.
According to Pablo Piovano, Senior Analyst at FXStreet, “The resurgence of the selling process could initially drag EUR/USD to its monthly floor at 1.1391 (August 1), which comes just ahead of the provisional 100-day SMA at 1.1369. The loss of the latter could put a potential move to the weekly trough at 1.1210 (May 29) back on the radar.”
On the other hand, periods of strength could spur the market to challenge the weekly high at 1.1788 (July 24) before reaching the 2025 ceiling of 1.1830 (July 1). Once this region is cleared, the pair could embark on a probable move to the 1.2000 milestone,” Piovano adds.
Finally, Piovano suggests that, “while above the 200-day SMA of 1.0944, the pair’s constructive outlook should remain unchanged.”
(This story was corrected on August 5 at 08:10 GMT to say that the ISM Services PMI data will be published on Tuesday, not Thursday.)
Economic Indicator
ISM Services Prices Paid
The ISM Non-Manufacturing PMI released by the Institute for Supply Management (ISM) shows business conditions in the US non-manufacturing sector, taking into account expectations for future production, new orders, inventories, employment and deliveries. It is a significant indicator of the overall economic condition in the US. The ISM Prices Paid represents business sentiment regarding future inflation. A high reading is seen as positive for the USD, while a low reading is seen as negative.
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Fed FAQs
Monetary policy in the US is shaped by the Federal Reserve (Fed). The Fed has two mandates: to achieve price stability and foster full employment. Its primary tool to achieve these goals is by adjusting interest rates.
When prices are rising too quickly and inflation is above the Fed’s 2% target, it raises interest rates, increasing borrowing costs throughout the economy. This results in a stronger US Dollar (USD) as it makes the US a more attractive place for international investors to park their money.
When inflation falls below 2% or the Unemployment Rate is too high, the Fed may lower interest rates to encourage borrowing, which weighs on the Greenback.
The Federal Reserve (Fed) holds eight policy meetings a year, where the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) assesses economic conditions and makes monetary policy decisions.
The FOMC is attended by twelve Fed officials – the seven members of the Board of Governors, the president of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, and four of the remaining eleven regional Reserve Bank presidents, who serve one-year terms on a rotating basis.
In extreme situations, the Federal Reserve may resort to a policy named Quantitative Easing (QE). QE is the process by which the Fed substantially increases the flow of credit in a stuck financial system.
It is a non-standard policy measure used during crises or when inflation is extremely low. It was the Fed’s weapon of choice during the Great Financial Crisis in 2008. It involves the Fed printing more Dollars and using them to buy high grade bonds from financial institutions. QE usually weakens the US Dollar.
Quantitative tightening (QT) is the reverse process of QE, whereby the Federal Reserve stops buying bonds from financial institutions and does not reinvest the principal from the bonds it holds maturing, to purchase new bonds. It is usually positive for the value of the US Dollar.