Around 9 p.m., the euro lost 0.44% against the greenback, at 1.1657 dollars, the lowest since the end of July.

The euro hit a new low in nearly two months on Wednesday against a dollar boosted by encouraging comments from officials at the US Central Bank (Fed) and a resumption of the Covid-19 pandemic in Europe.

Around 7:00 p.m. GMT (9:00 p.m. in Paris), the euro lost 0.44% against the greenback, at 1.1657 dollars, the lowest since the end of July.

The greenback, which had already benefited from its safe haven status for several days, was driven by “surprisingly optimistic comments from Fed officials,” said Fiona Cincotta, analyst for City Index.

“Fed Chairman Jerome Powell said the US economy had been resilient during the coronavirus crisis, while Charles Evans (a top Fed official) said the economy had recovered to 90% from its pre-pandemic level and that the Fed could raise its key interest rates before the 2% inflation target is reached,” Cincotta said.

This comment surprised the market all the more as the Federal Reserve recently signaled a change in policy by saying that it could let inflation go a little above 2% before raising its rates.

A rise in interest rates makes the currency concerned more profitable and therefore more attractive for traders.

For Ricardo Evangelista, analyst for ActivTrades, the strength of the dollar is also explained by the weakness of other currencies.

“Investors are betting on the fall of the euro and the pound as the virus once again seems to be out of control and a new economic shock on the Old Continent looms on the horizon”, he said. underline.

Private sector activity stagnated in September in the euro zone due to an upsurge in Covid-19 cases, according to the first estimate of the Markit composite PMI index on Wednesday.

On Tuesday, England adopted new restrictions, including on the opening hours of pubs and restaurants, which could remain in place for six months.

However, the United States remains the most bereaved country with more than 200,000 dead.