Problems at Home Depot, the world's largest home-improvement retailer and a proxy for the US housing market, are helping to bring down the buck as well as US stocks.
Revenue may fall 2 percent this year, the first annual decrease in Home Depot's history. The sale of HD's contractor division, which is less tied to home building, means the company will lose a buffer against the biggest housing slump in 16 years.
Event risk - Bernanke speaks at 1pm New York time.
