Forex

Dollar rises on safe-haven bid, big UK inflation drop hits pound

Published

1 year ago

December 22, 2023

Dollar rises on safe-haven bid, big UK inflation drop hits pound

By Saqib Iqbal Ahmed

NEW YORK (Reuters) -The dollar rose against a basket of currencies on Wednesday as a late-session selloff on Wall Street boosted the U.S. currency’s safe-haven appeal, and as data on sharply falling UK inflation prompted a steep drop in the British pound.

U.S. stocks closed lower on Wednesday after an abrupt mid-afternoon sell-off snapped a rally which had been driven by falling interest rates and the Federal Reserve’s dovish turn.

The dollar was last up 0.28% at 102.42, on pace to break a two-day losing streak. The index had dropped about 1.5% for the week ended Tuesday after last week’s Federal Reserve meeting prompted traders to pencil in several rate cuts in 2024, starting as early as March.

U.S. Federal Reserve officials have since been pushing back on the idea of rapid rate cuts next year.

Helen Given, FX Trader at Monex USA, said Wednesday’s rebound for the dollar was driven in part by a safety bid for the greenback as well as doubts about the Fed actually cutting rates as swiftly as the market is pricing.

“We don’t necessarily believe that the Fed is going to cut as early as market thinks … so we think this reaction is pretty well merited,” Given said.

Data on Wednesday showed U.S. consumer confidence increased more than expected in December amid optimism about the labor market, which could help to underpin the economy early next year.

The Federal Reserve’s dovish December pivot has boosted the case for the weakening dollar to keep falling into 2024, though strength in the U.S. economy could limit the greenback’s decline, according to investors.

Investors now await U.S. inflation data on Friday for clues to future Fed policy actions.

Meanwhile, the pound was down 0.76% at $1.2633, after slipping to a near 1-week low of $1.2625.

British inflation fell in November to its lowest rate in over two years, prompting investors to fully price in a BoE rate cut by May 2024 and assign a nearly 50% chance of a cut by March.

“A number of banks have seen pricing for (interest rate) cuts being front loaded. I think Bank of England was just a little bit behind because the inflation is higher, but it’s now starting to move in the same direction,” said Vassili Serebriakov, foreign exchange and macro strategist at UBS.

“Also, the pound has had a good run in the past couple of weeks, I think it’s just reversing some of those moves,” Serebriakov said.

Meanwhile, European Central Bank policymaker Joachim Nagel said in an interview published on Wednesday that euro zone interest rates must remain high and traders betting on upcoming cuts in borrowing costs should be careful. The euro was 0.36% lower at $1.0941.

The dollar fell 0.14% against the yen to 143.64, a day after the Bank of Japan maintained its ultra-loose monetary policy and opted to wait for more evidence to justify a shift.

“The last thing (the BOJ) wants to do is to have to undo (a rate hike) again in a couple of months’ time,” Rob Carnell, Asia-Pacific head of research at ING, said.

Japan’s government is aiming to reduce its budget next fiscal year for the first time in 12 years, Reuters reported on Wednesday.

In cryptocurrencies, bitcoin gained 3.26% to $43,634, its highest since Dec. 9. A spate of filings for spot bitcoin and ether ETFs, including from traditional finance heavyweights, has helped revive the crypto market this year after a series of meltdowns in 2022.

Forex

Dollar retains strength; euro near two-year low

Published

12 hours ago

December 25, 2024

Investing.com – The US dollar rose in thin holiday-impacted trade Tuesday, retaining recent strength as traders prepared for fewer Federal Reserve rate cuts in 2025.

At 04:25 ET (09:25 GMT), the Dollar Index, which tracks the greenback against a basket of six other currencies, traded 0.1% higher to 107.905, near the recently hit two-year high.

Dollar remains in demand

The dollar has been in demand since the Federal Reserve outlined a hawkish outlook for its interest rates after its last policy meeting of the year last week, projecting just two 25 bp rate cuts in 2025.

In fact, markets are now pricing in just about 35 basis points of easing for 2025, which has in turn sent US Treasury yields surging, boosting the dollar.

The two-year Treasury yield last stood at 4.34%, while the benchmark 10-year yield steadied near a seven-month high at 4.59%.

“We think this hawkish re-tuning of the Fed’s communication will lay the foundation for sustained dollar strengthening into the new year,” said analysts at ING,in a note.

Trading volumes are likely to thin out as the year-end approaches, with this trading week shortened by the festive period.

Euro near to two-year low

In Europe, fell 0.1% to 1.0396, near a two-year low, with the set to cut interest rates more rapidly than its US rival as the eurozone struggles to record any growth.

The ECB lowered its key rate earlier this month for the fourth time this year, and President Christine Lagarde said earlier this week that the eurozone was getting “very close” to reaching the central bank’s medium-term inflation goal.

“If the incoming data continue to confirm our baseline, the direction of travel is clear and we expect to lower interest rates further,” Lagarde said in a speech in Vilnius.

Inflation in the eurozone was 2.3% last month and the ECB expects it to settle at its 2% target next year.

traded largely flat at 1.2531, with sterling showing signs of weakness after data showed that Britain’s economy failed to grow in the third quarter, and with Bank of England policymakers voting 6-3 to keep interest rates on hold last week, a more dovish split than expected.

Bank of Japan stance in focus

In Asia, fell 0.1% to 157.03, after rising as high as 158 yen in recent sessions, after the signaled that it will take its time to consider more interest rate hikes.

edged 0.1% higher to 7.3021, remaining close to a one-year high as the prospect of more fiscal spending and looser monetary conditions in the coming year weighed on the currency.

Beijing signaled that it will ramp up fiscal spending in 2025 to support slowing economic growth.

Forex

Asia FX muted, dollar recovers as markets look to slower rate cuts

Published

12 hours ago

December 25, 2024

Investing.com– Most Asian currencies moved in a tight range on Tuesday, while the dollar extended overnight gains as traders positioned for a slower pace of interest rate cuts in the coming year.

Trading volumes were muted before the Christmas break, while most regional currencies were nursing steep losses against the greenback for the year.

Asian currencies weakened sharply last week after the Federal Reserve effectively halved its outlook for rate cuts in 2025, citing concerns over sticky U.S. inflation.

Dollar near 2-year high on hawkish rate outlook

The and both rose about 0.1% in Asian trade, extending overnight gains and coming back in sight of a two-year high hit last week.

While the greenback did see some weakness after data read lower than expected for November, this was largely offset by traders dialing back expectations for interest rate cuts in 2025.

The Fed signaled only two rate cuts in the coming year, less than prior forecasts of four.

Higher U.S. rates diminish the appeal of risk-driven Asian markets, limiting the amount of capital flowing into the region and pressuring regional markets.

Asia FX pressured by sticky US rate outlook

Most Asian currencies weakened in recent sessions on the prospect of slower rate cuts in the U.S., while uncertainty over local monetary policy and slowing economic growth also weighed.

The Japanese yen’s pair fell 0.1% on Tuesday after rising as high as 158 yen in recent sessions, after the Bank of Japan signaled that it will take its time to consider more interest rate hikes.

The Australian dollar’s pair fell 0.2% after the minutes of the Reserve Bank’s December meeting showed policymakers saw an eventual easing in monetary policy, citing some progress in bringing down inflation. But they still flagged potential upside risks for inflation.

The Chinese yuan’s pair rose 0.1% and remained close to a one-year high, as the prospect of more fiscal spending and looser monetary conditions in the coming year weighed on the currency.

Beijing signaled that it will ramp up fiscal spending in 2025 to support slowing economic growth.

The Singapore dollar’s pair rose 0.1%, while the Indian rupee’s pair rose 0.1% after hitting record highs above 85 rupees.

Forex

Dollar breaks free, poised for more gains amid US economic outperformance

Published

12 hours ago

December 25, 2024

Investing.com — The dollar has surged past its post-2022 range, buoyed by U.S. economic exceptionalism, a widening interest rate gap, and elevated tariffs, setting the stage for further gains next year.

“Our base case is that the dollar will make some further headway next year as the US continues to outperform, the interest rate gap between the US and other G10 economies widens a little further, and the Trump administration brings in higher US tariffs,” Capital Economics said in a recent note.

The bullish outlook on the greenback comes in the wake of the dollar breaking above its post-2022 trading range, reflecting renewed confidence among investors driven by robust U.S. economic data and policy expectations.

A key risk to the upside call on the dollar is a potential economic rebound in the rest of the world, similar to what occurred in 2016, Capital Economics noted.

Following the 2016 U.S. election, economic activity in the rest of the world rebounded, while Trump’s tax cuts didn’t materialize until the end of 2017, and the Fed took a more dovish path than discounted, resulting in a 10% drop in the DXY on the year, which was its “worst calendar year performance in the past two decades,” it added.

While expectations for a recovery in Europe and Asia seem far off, a positive surprise for global growth “should be ruled out”, Capital Economics said.