Dollar holds firm ahead of U.S. durable goods, housing data

The US dollar was steady against major currencies as traders looked ahead to US data that may determine the timing of interest rate hikes. The crisis in Russia had pushed the greenback to a 15-month high against the rouble, whilst U.S. data released this week includes new orders for durable goods, housing figures, and consumer surveys from The Conference Board and University of Michigan. Commenting on the expected US dollar performance, Masafumi Yamamoto, chief currency strategist at Mizuho Securities, said, “If the US economic data comes out on the strong side, then further pricing in for the two rate hikes will push up the dollar.