Forex
Dollar near two-month high, investors eye intervention-zone yen
© Reuters. FILE PHOTO: U.S. Dollar and Euro banknotes are seen in this illustration taken July 17, 2022. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration
By Hannah Lang
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The dollar index hovered near a two-month high on Thursday after Federal Reserve meeting minutes left the door open for more rate hikes and data this week indicated a resilient U.S. economy.
Investors continue to closely watch the Japanese yen, which touched the key 145 level for the first time in about nine months last Friday, crossing into a zone that sparked an intervention by Japanese authorities in September and October last year.
The was 0.097% higher on the day at 103.56, after hitting a two-month high of 103.59.
The greenback has drawn support from a recent run of U.S. economic data reinforcing the view that interest rates will remain high for some time.
Data on Wednesday showed that U.S. single-family home building surged in July and permits for future construction rose, while a separate report said production at U.S. factories unexpectedly rebounded last month.
Minutes of the Fed’s July policy meeting showed officials were divided over the need for more rate hikes last month, citing the risks to the economy if rates were pushed too far.
“When you come back to the Fed minutes, there is a case for the Fed to hike again in November, but I don’t think the market wants to trade around November just yet,” said Adam Button, chief currency analyst at ForexLive. “There’s so much data between then and now.”
Elsewhere, the yen edged 0.12% higher to 146.14 after weakening to 146.56 per dollar, its lowest level since November, having come under renewed pressure as a result of interest rate differentials between the U.S. and Japan’s ultra-low rate environment.
The Bank of Japan is “reluctant to intervene right now, but I think at some point we’re going to reach the uncle point on dollar-yen, and I think if it’s not right now, it’s definitely going to be at 150,” said Kathy Lien, managing editor of 60 Second Investor.
DATA DEPENDENT
The Australian dollar was lower after earlier sinking to a nine-month low, taking its New Zealand counterpart along with it, on data showing that Australia’s employment unexpectedly fell in July while the jobless rate ticked higher.
The Australian dollar was last 0.44% lower at $0.64, having tumbled more than 0.9% to a trough of $0.6365 following the employment data release. The fell 0.24% to $0.592 after touching its lowest level since November.
The two Antipodean currencies, often used as liquid proxies for the yuan, have also taken a beating over the past few sessions as a result of the darkening outlook over China’s economy.
The Norwegian crown rose from six-week lows against the dollar and the euro on Thursday after Norges Bank raised interest rates, as expected, and said it was likely to hike again in September.
Against the dollar, the Norwegian crown was last up 0.22% to 10.60, having hit 10.66 earlier in the session.
The euro was down 0.2% to $1.08565. Sterling was last trading at $1.27275, up 0.04% on the day, after surging on Wednesday on British inflation data.
Despite a sharp drop in Britain’s headline inflation rate, key measures of price growth monitored by the Bank of England (BoE) failed to ease in July, boosting bets the BoE will keep rates higher for longer.
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Currency bid prices at 3:00PM (1900 GMT)
Description RIC Last U.S. Close Pct Change YTD Pct High Bid Low Bid
Previous Change
Session
Dollar index 103.5600 103.4700 +0.10% 0.068% +103.5900 +103.0500
Euro/Dollar $1.0857 $1.0878 -0.19% +1.33% +$1.0919 +$1.0857
Dollar/Yen 146.1450 146.3550 -0.13% +11.48% +146.5500 +145.6200
Euro/Yen 158.66 159.19 -0.33% +13.09% +159.2900 +158.6700
Dollar/Swiss 0.8799 0.8800 +0.00% -4.83% +0.8809 +0.8760
Sterling/Dollar $1.2727 $1.2733 -0.04% +5.24% +$1.2787 +$1.2704
Dollar/Canadian 1.3551 1.3532 +0.14% +0.01% +1.3552 +1.3497
Aussie/Dollar $0.6396 $0.6424 -0.43% -6.16% +$0.6450 +$0.6365
Euro/Swiss 0.9554 0.9573 -0.20% -3.45% +0.9577 +0.9553
Euro/Sterling 0.8528 0.8547 -0.22% -3.57% +0.8556 +0.8523
NZ $0.5924 $0.5938 -0.24% -6.70% +$0.5963 +$0.5903
Dollar/Dollar
Dollar/Norway 10.6000 10.6200 -0.22% +7.98% +10.6680 +10.5340
Euro/Norway 11.5112 11.5231 -0.10% +9.70% +11.5970 +11.4863
Dollar/Sweden 10.9409 10.8958 +0.09% +5.12% +10.9487 +10.8558
Euro/Sweden 11.8794 11.8690 +0.09% +6.55% +11.8975 +11.8520
Forex
Asia FX rises as rate cut dents dollar; yen firms as BOJ holds course
Investing.com– Most Asian currencies firmed on Friday, while the dollar nursed losses after the Federal Reserve cut rates by a wide margin and kicked off an easing cycle.
The Japanese yen was among the better performers, strengthening after the Bank of Japan held interest rates and said it expected steady increases in inflation and economic growth.
The Chinese yuan also firmed after the People’s Bank of China kept its benchmark rates unchanged, ducking some expectations that it would cut rates to further support the economy.
Yen firm as BOJ holds rates, flags higher inflation
The Japanese yen firmed on Friday, with the pair falling 0.2% to 142.28 yen.
The BOJ in a unanimous decision, and said it expected inflation and economic growth to steadily increase.
While the central bank did not provide any overtly hawkish cues, its forecast of higher inflation tied into expectations that the BOJ will raise interest rates further. A slew of policymakers had signaled that rates will rise further in the coming months, especially as inflation picks up.
The BOJ decision and forecast came just hours after data showed inflation rose to a 10-month high in August, as increased wages pushed up private consumption.
While the yen was nursing weekly losses, it still remained close to its strongest levels for 2024, hit earlier in the week. Expectations of higher interest rates are likely to underpin the yen in the coming months.
Dollar weak after rate cut cheer offsets less dovish Fed signals
The and both fell slightly in Asian trade, extending overnight declines as markets looked to lower U.S. interest rates.
The Fed and announced the start of an easing cycle, which could see rates fall by as much as 125 bps by the year-end.
But Fed Chair Powell offered a less dovish outlook for medium-to-long term rates, stating that the central bank’s neutral rate will be much higher than seen in the past. His comments limited overall losses in the dollar, and had also seen the greenback appreciate in the immediate aftermath of the Fed decision on Wednesday.
Chinese yuan at 16-mth high as PBOC holds rates
The Chinese yuan firmed on Friday, with the pair falling 0.3% to its lowest level since May 2023.
Strength in the yuan came as the PBOC kept its benchmark steady, ducking some expectations that it would cut rates further to stimulate the economy.
The PBOC’s decision came even as a raft of recent economic indicators showed sustained weakness in China.
But media reports said the PBOC was instructing local banks to buy dollars and limit overall strength in the yuan, given that a stronger yuan also weighs on Chinese exports.
Broader Asian currencies firmed after the Fed’s decision. The Australian dollar’s pair rose 0.2% and was close to an eight-month high.
The South Korean won’s pair was an outlier, rising 0.2%, while the Singapore dollar’s pair fell 0.1%.
The Indian rupee’s pair fell 0.1%, pulling back further from record highs hit earlier this year.
Forex
Stay long on the yen amid rate hikes, improving growth- BCA
Investing.com– BCA Research said bets on a stronger Japanese yen were becoming more entrenched amid attractive valuations in local assets, the prospect of more interest rate hikes and an improving Japanese economy.
The yen saw a stellar recovery over the past two months, as a hawkish Bank of Japan, a weaker dollar and an unwinding carry trade pushed the currency to 2024 peaks. The pair had fallen as low as 139 yen in recent weeks.
BCA Research said in a recent note that the yen was a “high-conviction” buy, and that interest rates and global economic conditions were likely to favor the currency in the coming months.
BCA expects the BOJ to this week. But a “dovish hold” is an opportunity to accumulate more yen, while an unexpected rate hike is set to further boost the currency.
The research firm said the Japanese economy remained resilient, with increases in local wages helping spruce up private consumption.
With the Federal Reserve beginning an easing cycle, and with the BOJ likely to hike interest rates further, BCA sees interest rate differentials still moving in favor of the yen in the long term- more so if the global economy enters a recession.
BCA expects Japanese inflation to rise further in the coming months, tieing into the BOJ’s forecasts and giving the central bank more headroom to raise interest rates. The central bank hiked rates twice so far this year, ending years of easy monetary policy on expectations of an uptick in private consumption and inflation.
While the BOJ is expected to keep rates on hold in the near-term, especially with a looming leadership change in the Japanese government, it is still expected to keep raising rates by end-2024 and going into 2025. BCA said an interest rate hike will “not hurt Japan.”
On Japanese equities, however, BCA was less enthusiastic, rating them as “structurally neutral.” The firm cited yen strength as a headwind, and saw no immediate positive developments in ongoing corporate governance and structural reforms.
Forex
Dollar slips in choppy trading as traders grapple with Fed’s giant rate cut
(Adds missing “cuts” in first bullet, no other changes to text)
By Chibuike Oguh and Stefano Rebaudo
NEW YORK (Reuters) – The U.S. dollar slipped in choppy trading on Wednesday as markets grappled with the supersized 50 basis point interest rate cut, as well as the switch to an easing monetary policy stance delivered by the Federal Reserve.
Investor expectations had largely shifted towards a dovish outcome in the days leading up to the Fed’s move on Wednesday, with money markets pricing in around a 65% chance of a 50 basis point (bp) cut. But economists polled by Reuters were leaning towards a 25 bp cut.
“The interesting thing is the half point cut, which was pretty much unexpected or at least only half and half yesterday, has not really given the dollar extra damage – which is quite surprising,” said Joseph Trevisani, senior analyst at FXStreet in New York.
The , which measures the greenback against a basket of six peers, was down 0.38% to 100.64 after reversing gains made in early trading. It slid to its lowest in more than a year of 100.21 in the previous session.
The euro strengthened 0.4% to $1.1163. Against the yen, the dollar was 0.33% higher at 142.73 as markets anticipate that the Bank of Japan will leave interest rates unchanged on Friday.
The dollar weakened 0.08% to 0.847 against the Swiss franc and dropped 0.34% to 7.070 versus the offshore .
“What it’s really doing I think is giving permission, if you will, for the other central banks around the world, some of whom have started to cut rates already, to go further with their rate cuts,” Trevisani said.
Money markets priced in 72 bps of additional rate cuts in 2024 and 192 bps by September 2025.
The U.S. Treasury yield curve, which measures the gap between yields on two- and and seen as an indicator of economic expectations, steepened and hit its highest since June 2022. It was last at a positive 13.4 basis points, indicating more upcoming rate cuts.
Initial claims for state unemployment benefits dropped unexpectedly to 12,000 last week, according to Labor Department data on Thursday, suggesting labor market growth.
Fed policymakers on Wednesday projected the benchmark interest rate would fall by another half of a percentage point by the end of this year, a full percentage point next year and half of a percentage point in 2026.
“The initial interpretation of the decision was that it was dovish and while it was basically even odds that it was going to happen, overall, on the surface, it’s still a dovish move,” said Eugene Epstein, head of trading & structured products North America at Moneycorp in Boston.
“Everything reversed basically by the end of the day, so you can make the argument as a bit of buy the rumour, sell the fact. A lot of dovishness was already priced in.”
The pound hit its highest since March 2022 versus the dollar after the Bank of England’s Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) voted 8-1 to keep rates on hold. Sterling was up 0.5% against the greenback at $1.3278 after reaching as high as $1.3314.
The Australian and New Zealand dollars drew support from domestic data surprises. Australian employment exceeded forecasts for a third straight month in August.
The was up 0.77% to $0.6815.
The , meanwhile, traded 0.58% higher at $0.6244, after data showed the New Zealand economy contracted by 0.2% in the second quarter.
Currency bid prices at 19
September 07:17 p.m. GMT
Description RIC Last U.S. Close Previous Session Pct Change YTD Pct High Bid Low Bid
Dollar index 100.62 101.02 -0.39% -0.74% 101.47 100.51
Euro/Dollar 1.1162 1.1118 0.4% 1.13% $1.1179 $1.1069
Dollar/Yen 142.61 142.3 0.22% 1.11% 143.875 141.885
Euro/Yen 1.1162 158.18 0.64% 2.29% 159.96 157.79
Dollar/Swiss 0.8469 0.8463 0.06% 0.62% 0.8515 0.845
Sterling/Dollar 1.3276 1.3214 0.51% 4.37% $1.3314 $1.3155
Dollar/Canadian 1.3559 1.3606 -0.34% 2.29% 1.3648 1.3534
Aussie/Dollar 0.6812 0.6764 0.73% -0.07% $0.6839 $0.6738
Euro/Swiss 0.945 0.9408 0.47% 1.79% 0.9465 0.9406
Euro/Sterling 0.8406 0.8414 -0.1% -3.02% 0.8423 0.8392
NZ Dollar/Dollar 0.6243 0.6208 0.65% -1.12% $0.6269 0.6183
Dollar/Norway 10.4931 10.5877 -0.89% 3.53% 10.6504 10.4394
Euro/Norway 11.7134 11.7726 -0.5% 4.36% 11.7929 11.6517
Dollar/Sweden 10.1611 10.2057 -0.44% 0.93% 10.2535 10.1143
Euro/Sweden 11.3423 11.3478 -0.05% 1.95% 11.3597 11.2923
(This story has been refiled to add the missing word ‘cuts’ in the first bullet)
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