Overview: Comments by Fed Governor Waller, urging patience on rates and wanting more evidence that price pressures are moderating has helped the greenback extend its recent gains. The yen is the notable exception as the fear of intervention has restrained the dollar bulls. Poor German data, including a sharp 1.9% drop in February retail sales, the fourth consecutive monthly decline, underscored the euro's negative divergence, and the single currency was sold to new...
Read More »Heightened Threat of Japanese Intervention Pushes Greenback Away from JPY152
Overview: The dollar neared JPY152, setting a new 34-year high. This appeared to spur a senior official meeting in Tokyo, ostensibly to talk about the response. Previously, we suggested that Friday, when most markets outside of Asia will be closed, could provide an interesting opportunity for intervention. The implicit threat was enough to take the dollar to JPY151.10 in the European morning. Most of the G10 currencies are softer against the dollar but the yen. A...
Read More »Dollar’s Recent Gains Pared but Firm Undertone Remains Intact
Overview: After surging at the last week, the dollar consolidated yesterday and is continuing to do so today as slightly lower levels. The Swiss franc is the only G10 currency unable to gain traction against the greenback today. Still, the dollar's pullback has barely met the minimum retracement targets of the jump last Thursday and Friday. The PBOC lower the dollar's fix slightly, but the proverbial toothpaste is out of the tube and officials are struggling to...
Read More »Dollar Extends Gains Against the Yen but Broadly Firmer Ahead of the FOMC
Overview: The US dollar remains bid ahead of the outcome of today's FOMC meeting. No change in policy is expected, but the forward guidance, partly delivered in the updated projections, is the focus. In the last iteration (December), the Fed "dot" was for three rate cuts this year. Japanese markets were closed for a national holiday today but dollar's gains against the yen have been extended and the greenback is nearing the peak seen in the last two years slightly...
Read More »Heightened Speculation of a BOJ Move Tomorrow did not Stop the Nikkei from Rallying or Yen from Slipping
Overview: The US dollar is trading with a mostly softer bias against the G10 currencies. The notable exceptions are the Japanese yen and Swiss franc. Ironically, speculation of a Bank of Japan rate hike appears to have increased, while there is a risk that the Swiss National Bank cuts rates this week. The Norwegian krone is the strongest of the major currencies. The central bank meets later this week but is widely expected to stand pat. The continued rise in oil...
Read More »Euro’s Recovery to $1.09 Looks Vulnerable while Yen Falls to New Lows for the Week After Strong Pay Raises Confirmed
Overview: At the end of last week, the derivatives market was again pricing in nearly four Fed cuts this year, but this week's data have seen expectations re-converge with the Fed's three rate cuts signaled in December, while cutting the odds of June hike to the lowest in the more than four months. This has helped lift the dollar against all the G10 currencies this week. As is often the case in a firm US dollar environment, the Canadian dollar has fared the best,...
Read More »Consolidation Featured Ahead of Tomorrow’s US Retail Sales and Friday’s Japanese Wage News
Overview: We came into this week expecting the dollar to rise on the back of a recovery in rates. The two-year note has risen from 4.40% after the jobs report to 4.60%. The dollar's rise has been less impressive. The Dollar Index had begun with week with a six-day fall in tow. Today is it is rising for the third session. However, the gains have been a modest 0.80% off the pre-weekend lows. The dollar broadly is consolidating in narrow ranges thus far today in quiet...
Read More »Ueda’s Comments Weigh on Yen as the Market Awaits US CPI
Overview: The US CPI has become one of the most important high-frequency economic reports for the capital markets. The dollar is going into the report narrowly mixed against the G10 currencies. Comments by BOJ Governor Ueda about the weakness in consumption of non-durable goods was seen by some as reducing the likelihood of a change in policy next week. The greenback is threatening to snap a five-day drop against the yen. Most of the G10 currencies are in narrow...
Read More »Japan’s Q4 23 Contraction Revised Away, Helping Keep Yen Bid
Overview: News that the Japanese economy expanded rather than contracted in Q4 23 has fanned expectations that rates could be as early as next week. This is helping keep the yen supported, though it remains in the pre-weekend range, albeit barely. While the dollar is softer but consolidating against the euro, Swiss franc, and Canadian dollar, it slightly firmer against the Antipodeans and Scandis. Sterling is also in a narrow range, but with a softer bias. Most...
Read More »Narrowly Mixed Dollar to Start the Big Week for Europe and North America
Overview: The dollar is narrowly mixed against the G10 currencies to begin the week that features a Bank of Canada and ECB meetings, US jobs data, Federal Reserve Chair Powell's two-day testimony before Congress, and US President Biden's State of the Union address. Most emerging market currencies are firmer. The Turkish lira is a notable exception. Higher than expected took a toll, knocking it down by around 0.5%. On the other hand, the Malaysian ringgit is up...
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