Advance GDP for the fourth quarter showed a super-strong growth of 5.7%, much better than expected. The market’s reaction wasn’t strong at first. There are two reasons for this slow initial response. The highest growth rate in 6 years doesn’t impress the markets at first. EUR/USD (in a lower range) traded at 1.3940, only 30 pips below the price before the release. GBP/USD and other pairs follow the same trend. The dollar is making gains, but not leaping. There was eventually great greenback strength, but it took a lot of time. This figure was much higher than the 4.6% growth rate that was predicted. So why isn’t there a jump? Update 15:00 GMT: EUR/USD drops to 1.3900. Other currencies lose ground as well. This happens as two more American figures are better than expected: Chicago PMI jumped to 61.7 points instead of dropping. The revised Consumer Sentiment from the University of Michigan was revised to 74.4 points, more than expected. Update 23:00 GMT: EUR/USD totally collapsed. Most currencies followed with huge losses. Only the Canadian dollar didn’t lose a trading range. 1. The details Looking into the details of this release, we see that manufacturers stopped erasing their stockpiles quickly – meaning that they produce more. This contributed most of the growth. This move by manufacturers came after they didn’t have too much of a choice. But contrary to Germany, Japan, Australia and other countries, the US economy is mostly based on consumers – about 70%. Here the growth is much more moderate – only 2.2%. While this faster than last quarter, it’s already much more moderate. 2. The doubts Looking back just at Q3, the initial announcement was a growth rate of 3.5% – a strong and joyful end to the recession. But this didn’t last long. The second release was already under 3% and the final release of Q3 GDP showed a more modest growth – 2.2%. More than a third of the growth rate was cut off between the initial and final releases. So how is Q4’s 5.7% going to turn out? Hmmmm Looking at the job market, there are doubts also there. The last month of 2009 saw a disappointing drop in jobs, although November saw a small gain. The past week’s jobless claims weren’t too hopeful as well. Even if the growth rates stay, a “jobless recovery” isn’t enough for the economy – not enough for a rate hike and not enough for the dollar bulls to rage. Next week’s Non-Farm Payrolls are super-important now. Vote for it on Forex Factory! Want to see what other traders are doing in real accounts? Check out Currensee. It’s free. Yohay Elam Yohay Elam Yohay Elam: Founder, Writer and Editor I have been into forex trading for over 5 years, and I share the experience that I have and the knowledge that I've accumulated. After taking a short course about forex. Like many forex traders, I've earned a significant share of my knowledge the hard way. Macroeconomics, the impact of news on the ever-moving currency markets and trading psychology have always fascinated me. Before founding Forex Crunch, I've worked as a programmer in various hi-tech companies. I have a B. Sc. in Computer Science from Ben Gurion University. Given this background, forex software has a relatively bigger share in the posts. Yohay's Google Profile View All Post By Yohay Elam Forex News Today: Daily Trading NewsOpinions share Read Next Forex Reads for the Weekend – January 30 2010 Yohay Elam 12 years Advance GDP for the fourth quarter showed a super-strong growth of 5.7%, much better than expected. The market's reaction wasn't strong at first. There are two reasons for this slow initial response. The highest growth rate in 6 years doesn't impress the markets at first. EUR/USD (in a lower range) traded at 1.3940, only 30 pips below the price before the release. GBP/USD and other pairs follow the same trend. The dollar is making gains, but not leaping. There was eventually great greenback strength, but it took a lot of time. This figure was much higher than the 4.6% growth… Regulated Forex Brokers All Brokers Sponsored Brokers Broker Benefits Min Deposit Score Visit Broker 1 $100T&Cs Apply 0% Commission and No stamp DutyRegulated by US,UK & International StockCopy Successfull Traders 9.8 Visit Site FreeBets Reviews$100Your capital is at risk. 2 T&Cs Apply 9.8 Visit Site FreeBets Reviews$100Your capital is at risk. 3 Recommended Broker $100T&Cs Apply No deposit or withdrawal feesTrade major forex pairs such as EUR/USD with leverage up to 30:1 and tight spreads of 0.9 pips Low $100 minimum deposit to open a trading account 9 Visit Site FreeBets ReviewsYour capital is at risk. 4 T&Cs Apply Visit Site FreeBets ReviewsYour capital is at risk. 5 Recommended Broker $0T&Cs Apply Trade gold, silver, and platinum directly against major currenciesUp to 1:500 leverage for forex trading24/5 customer service by phone and email 9 Visit Site FreeBets ReviewsYour capital is at risk.