Overview: The greenback is trading with a softer bias ahead of the US jobs report. Solid, even if not spectacular job growth, is expected. However, recent survey data warns of the downside risks. Moreover, counter-intuitively, the dollar has not often rallied this year into the employment data, but frequently has in response. The dollar is softer against the G10 currencies. The Norwegian krone is the strongest, up about 0.6% after the central bank delivered a...
Read More »Japan Drives Home Message
Overview: The US dollar is mixed, but the spotlight is on the Japanese yen. It appears that with the market challenging Monday's intervention, Japanese officials entered the market shortly after the US equity market closed yesterday, as the Asia Pacific session got underway and sold dollars again. Initial estimates suggest the intervention amount was two-thirds of Monday's. The timing caught the markets wrongfooted. Tokyo markets are closed Friday and Monday, but...
Read More »May Day Fed Day
Overview: Much of Asia and Europe are off for the May Day labor holiday. The dollar is mostly softer in the thin activity. However, the dollar has edged higher against the yen and approached JPY158. The euro initially fell to $1.0650, a six-day low and where a billion euros in options expire later today. It has recovered to almost $1.0675. Emerging market currencies are subdued. Central European currencies, the South African rand, and Mexican peso are sporting...
Read More »Yen Retreats, while Stronger EMU GDP Underscores Nascent Recovery and Lifts the Euro
Overview: Stronger than expected eurozone GDP strengthened the sense that a nascent recovery may be taking hold and has given the euro a bid in the European morning. The dollar, though, is enjoying a firmer tone against the other G10 currencies today. Australia's unexpected weakness in retail sales has weighed on the Antipodean currencies. The Aussie and Kiwi are off slightly more than 0.5% today. Japanese data were mixed (a recovery in industrial production but...
Read More »Yen Dumps before It Jumps
Overview: The FOMC meeting, the US employment report, and eurozone CPI were to be the highlights of the week, but the Japanese yen stole the march to start the week. The dollar soared to almost JPY160.20 before falling sharply to JPY154.55 and then rebounding to almost JPY156.00. Intervention has not been confirmed and BOJ data will not cover it until next month. On balance, it appears that most think it was algo-trading in thin markets given the Japanese holiday....
Read More »Dollar Consolidates but Adjustment is Not Over
Overview: Higher than expected US CPI for the third consecutive month drove US interest rates sharply higher and lifted the greenback broadly. The market appears to be catching its proverbial breath today, but the shallow consolidation suggests the moves are not over. The ECB meeting is likely to highlight the new divergence that has opened. The dollar has reached nearly JPY153.30, and although Japanese officials cautioned about the fx moves, intervention while...
Read More »US CPI, New Security Initiatives with Tokyo and Manila, Bank of Canada Meeting
Overview: The dollar has been confined to narrow ranges ahead of the US CPI report. Given the backup of US rates and the stronger-than-expected jobs growth, the greenback's performance has been unimpressive. The Reserve Bank of New Zealand signaled that it was in no hurry to cut rates and it helped underpin the New Zealand dollar. Up about 0.2% today, it is leading the G10 currencies higher. Strong earnings from TSMC may have helped underpin the Taiwanese dollar...
Read More »Dollar Consolidates Softer Ahead of Tomorrow’s CPI
Overview: The dollar is trading with a softer bias in mostly narrow ranges against the G10 currencies. It did not rally much ahead of the US jobs data, and it was not able to sustain the upside momentum afterwards, despite the jump in US yields. Former St. Louis Fed President Bullard, who still has a strong reputation in the market, told Bloomberg TV yesterday that three cuts were his base case this year. The Scandis and Antipodeans are the strongest today, up about...
Read More »Will the Market Push the Dollar Above JPY152 as Japanese Prime Minister Heads to the US?
Overview: The jump in US rates after the employment report failed to ignite a sustained rally in the dollar and this shaken the market's near-term confidence. The dollar has been mostly confined to narrow ranges and the low yielding Swiss franc and Japanese yen are softest with the G10 complex today. The dollar is knocking on JPY152. The Scandis and Antipodeans lead the advancers. The euro has made little headway despite a much stronger than expected German...
Read More »US Employment Data to Set Dollar’s Course
Overview: The focus is squarely on the US employment report. At the risk of oversimplifying, given the position adjustment in the past 48 hours, a solid report can see the greenback recover, while a disappointing report will likely see it deepen the correction of the rally that began with the February jobs report. The dollar recovered in the North American afternoon yesterday and many observers attributed it to the bevy of Fed comments. Yet, the interest rate market...
Read More »