Euro hits 17-month low on French debt fears and energy shock
French debt and political risk sink the euro Investors are dumping French bonds, stocks and the euro as France's debt heads toward 120% of GDP and the government struggles to pass a budget. The extra yield investors demand to hold French debt over German debt has more than doubled since May, and the euro fell below 1.12 dollars, its weakest since May 2025. This pushes EURUSD down.
This is the main new force this period, directly driving the euro to multi-month lows.
Energy shock and political risk keep euro near lows The euro is near its lowest levels of the year as the war in Iran disrupts gas shipments through the Strait of Hormuz, pushing European gas above 80 euros per megawatt-hour, the highest since late 2022. Far-right gains in German state elections add to political uncertainty. High energy costs hurt Europe's growth and push investors toward the dollar, weighing on EURUSD.
This explains the underlying energy and political pressures that are keeping the euro weak.
Dollar hits 17-month high as US yields surge The dollar strengthened to a 17-month high against the euro as a global bond selloff pushed the 10-year US Treasury yield to its highest since 2002, above 5.2%. Higher US yields make dollar deposits more attractive, pulling money into the dollar and pushing EURUSD down. The euro fell nearly 2.5% in September, its biggest monthly drop since July 2025.
This shows the US side of the story: higher US rates and yields are a major driver of dollar strength.
Eurozone inflation beats forecasts, but ECB hike bets fade Eurozone inflation rose to 3.8% in September, above the 3.6% forecast, mainly on energy. This keeps pressure on the ECB to raise rates, which would support the euro. But markets have scaled back expectations for an October ECB hike to about one in three, because the inflation is seen as energy-driven, and German bond yields fell. The net effect is mixed for EURUSD.
This is the main counterweight: higher inflation could support the euro, but reduced ECB hike expectations weaken it.