Forex
Dollar edges down before Fed speakers, data; Swiss franc rises after SNB
By Stefano Rebaudo
(Reuters) – The safe-haven dollar edged down on Thursday on increasing risk appetite with traders looking ahead to speeches from key Federal Reserve policymakers and economic data later in the day for clues on the pace of interest rate cuts.
Meanwhile, the Swiss franc rose after the Swiss National Bank cut interest rates by 25 basis points. Future markets and some analysts expected a bigger cut of 50 bps after the Federal Reserve made such a move last week.
European and Asian stocks extended a China-led rally, fuelled by optimism over the country’s aggressive stimulus package and news that more support could be in the works.
“These days, in the forex market, it’s all about the Federal Reserve monetary path and U.S. economic data,” said Nick Andrews, forex strategist at HSBC.
The dollar rebounded sharply overnight from its lowest levels in over 14 months. It tumbled on Tuesday after data showed that U.S. consumer confidence dropped by the most in three years in September amid mounting fears over the labour market, increasing market bets on Fed rate cuts.
“Beijing (stimulus plan) has juiced the markets during what was otherwise a typically quiet day ahead of U.S. data,” said Matt Simpson, senior market analyst at City Index.
The , which measures the currency against the euro, sterling, yen and three other major peers, eased 0.20% to 100.73, following a 0.57% jump on Wednesday, its biggest one-day gain since June 7.
Mark Haefele, chief investment officer at UBS Global Wealth Management, sees a weak dollar as the Fed will lower rates at a faster pace than its peers.
The Swiss franc rose 0.4% versus the dollar to 0.8468, after the SNB decision and was up 0.25% at 0.9442 versus the euro.
Markets had priced in a 55% probability of a 25 basis point cut before the announcement.
SNB Chairman Thomas Jordan said the central bank was ready to cut rates again and recently acknowledged difficulties that the recent rise in the franc has created for exporters.
“This 25 bps rate cut is the most dovish you could ask for,” said Charlotte de Montpellier, senior economist at ING.
“Not only is the SNB making it very clear that further rate cuts may be necessary, but it has also revised its inflation forecasts very sharply downwards.” Later on Thursday, Fed Chair Jerome Powell is scheduled to give pre-recorded remarks at a conference in New York, where New York Fed President John Williams will also speak. Boston Fed President Susan Collins and Fed Governors Michelle Bowman and Lisa Cook take to the podium at various other venues as well.
Weekly U.S. jobless claims data will be closely scrutinised, given the Fed’s shift in focus to employment over inflation.
The euro rose 0.13% to $1.1148, after pulling back from $1.1214, a high not seen since July last year.
Some analysts said a better outlook for Chinese demand after the stimulus plan announcement fed back into expectations for the economies of Germany and, more broadly, Europe.
The yen hit a three-week low of 145.04 per dollar and last fetched 144.56.
Investors were closely watching political developments as the Liberal Democratic Party will choose a new leader on Friday, with the winner due to take over as prime minister due to the party’s majority in parliament.
A win for Sanae Takaichi would have the biggest impact on the yen’s performance as she favours maintaining a loose BoJ policy and a weaker yen.
“One reason the yen weakened a little is the uncertainty about LDP elections, which start tomorrow; a Takaichi win could be quite reflationary,” HSBC’s Andrews argued.
MUFG estimated a probability of 20% for Sanae Takaichi to win and of 45% for Shinjiro Koizumi, adding that it was unlikely that one candidate would secure a majority in the first round.
Minutes from the Bank of Japan’s July meeting, when the central bank raised short-term interest rates, showed policymakers were divided on how quickly the central bank should raise rates further.
The Australian dollar added 0.75% to $0.6873, finding its feet after Wednesday’s one percent retreat from a 19-month peak of $0.6908. [AUD/]
The rose 0.46% to 7.0 per dollar in offshore trading after it pulled back on Wednesday from its highest since May of last year at 6.9952.
(This story has been refiled to remove the extraneous word ‘would’ from the quote, in paragraph 20)
Forex
Dollar retains strength against peers on Trump trade
By Chibuike Oguh and Alun John
NEW YORK (Reuters) – The U.S. dollar strengthened against major peers on Thursday, trading at a one-year high and headed for a fifth straight session of gains, propelled by market expectations since Donald Trump clinched a dramatic return to the White House.
Markets anticipate that the incoming Trump administration will impose trade tariffs and tighten immigration as well as deepen the deficit, measures deemed to be inflationary.
The president-elect’s Republican Party will control both houses of Congress when he takes office in January, Edison Research projected on Wednesday, giving him wide powers to push his agenda.
The greenback climbed above 156 yen for the first time since July and was last up 0.56% to 156.38 per dollar. The euro slumped to its weakest since November 2023 and was down 0.45% at $1.05165 in choppy trading. Sterling hit its lowest on the dollar in four months and was last down 0.44% to $1.2651.
Following his election, the market has been looking at Trump’s appointment and seeing that he is not going to compromise on his campaign goals, whether it’s tariffs or China, said Steven Englander, head of G10 FX strategy at Standard Chartered (OTC:) in New York. “The market is assuming that he’s going to go ahead and implement all the things that he’s promised to do,” he said.
U.S. producer prices picked up in October, the Labor Department reported on Thursday, a day after data showed that consumer inflation had barely budged last month. The number of Americans filing new applications for unemployment benefits fell last week, suggesting labor market strength, according to the Labor Department.
The data did not change views that the Federal Reserve would deliver a third interest rate cut next month.
Fed chair Jerome Powell said on Thursday there was no need to rush rate cuts given the strong U.S. economy. His speech echoed earlier comments on Thursday by Federal Reserve governor Adriana Kugler and Richmond Fed President Thomas Barkin.
The , which measures the currency against six top counterparts including the euro and the yen, rose 0.17% to 106.64, after reaching as high as 107.07, its highest since early November 2023. The yield on benchmark U.S. 10-year notes fell 3.7 basis points to 4.414%.
pulled back from a record high of $93,480 overnight and was last up 0.96% to $89,489. Trump has vowed to make the United States “the crypto capital of the planet.” declined 0.27% to $3,144.
The Swiss franc remained under pressure against the dollar, which was up 0.3% to 0.889 franc. The Australian dollar fell to a three-month low after marginally weaker jobs data, weakening to as low as $0.6453.
“The price action that we’ve had is expected given the election outcome and the logic behind it is built on expectations rather than actualities: expectations of fiscal stimulus, tariffs and deregulation,” said Daragh Maher, head of FX strategy, Americas, at HSBC in New York.
“We’ve been in the dollar-bullish camp, so this seats neatly with our narrative, but clearly there’s been a big repricing.”
Forex
UBS raises USD/JPY forecast, says another jump to 160 is possible
Investing.com — UBS has raised its forecast for the in a note Thursday, expecting significant fluctuations in the exchange rate over the coming year.
The bank now projects the currency pair to reach 155 by December 2024, followed by 152 in March 2025, 150 in June, and 147 in September.
By year-end 2025, UBS targets 145, a revision from its earlier predictions of 147, 143, 140, and 138, respectively.
According to UBS, a near-term surge to 158-160 remains possible, especially if U.S. 10-year yields rise another 30-40 basis points, potentially hitting 4.8%.
“Based on sensitivity analysis over the past three years, a 10bp widening of the US-Japan 10-year yield differential coincides with a one-yen rise in the USDJPY exchange rate,” UBS explained.
If U.S. bond yields indeed spike to 4.8%, the bank says USD/JPY could temporarily reach 160, though they view this level as “unsustainable” and likely to invite Japanese intervention, as observed during similar peaks earlier in 2024.
UBS analysts believe the USD/JPY will face downward pressure in 2025, driven by several factors. A key factor is the anticipated Fed rate-cutting cycle, which UBS expects will lead to lower U.S. yields.
“We think current USDJPY levels are higher than justified by yield differentials,” UBS notes, estimating that the currency pair should trend toward 145-146.
Additionally, trade tensions and a potential Trump-led administration’s focus on a stronger yen may reinforce this trend.
For investors, UBS suggests that any near-term spike toward 160 could be an opportunity to “tactically sell USDJPY.” Over the long term, UBS sees multiple forces supporting a downtrend, with USD/JPY likely to end 2025 at 145.
Forex
Sterling squashed by dollar steamroller, traders watch out for Reeves’ speech
LONDON (Reuters) – The pound dropped to its lowest against the dollar since early July on Thursday, brushed aside by the U.S. currency’s relentless rise following Donald Trump’s U.S. election victory.
Those developments are swamping British news for investors, although they will be keeping an eye on finance minister Rachel Reeves’ first Mansion House speech to leaders of the City, as well as remarks from Bank of England governor Andrew Bailey.
Reeves said in advance that she wants Britain to build a slew of “megafunds” with up to 80 billion pounds ($102 billion) in fresh investment firepower, under plans for the biggest shake-up in British pensions seen in decades.
Sterling was last down 0.6% on the dollar at 1.2632, its lowest since July 2, falling through its early August low in mid-morning London trading.
The move was largely in line with peers. The euro was down 0.6%, at a one year low, and the dollar was around 0.5% higher on the Japanese yen and the Swiss franc. [FRX/]
“Cable (pound/dollar) is a dollar story at the moment,” said Nick Rees, currency analyst at Monex Europe.
Higher trade tariffs and tighter immigration under the incoming Trump administration are projected to fuel inflation, potentially slowing the Federal Reserve’s rate cutting cycle longer term.
These, alongside expectations for deeper deficit spending and higher short term economic growth are lifting Treasury yields, providing the dollar with additional support.
The benchmark hit 4.483% on Thursday, its highest since July. [US/]
The pound was steady on the euro at 83.12 pence to the common currency. It has been gradually strengthening in recent months, “a reflection of European political risk which should be negative for the euro,” said Rees, pointing to the situation in France and Germany.
The collapse of Germany’s ruling coalition last week forced the country into a snap election that will is likely to take place in February, while the French government is trying to push its draft budget for next year over the line, despite lacking a majority in parliament.
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