Tag Archive: EMU
Market Pushes the Yen Lower, Helped by a Broadly Firmer Greenback
Overview: The dollar is firmer against all the G10
currencies today. The market is somewhat less fearful of intervention and the
yen is extending yesterday's losses. It is rivaling the Australian dollar for
the weakest of the major currencies after the Reserve Bank of Australia left
rates on hold and played down speculation of possibility of a rate hike. Both
currencies are off around 0.4% in late European morning turnover. Disappointing
German...
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Yen Slips, Yuan Jumps, Dollar is Mostly Softer
Overview: The dollar is mostly a little softer
today in thin market conditions, with Tokyo, Seoul, and London closed for
holidays. The Japanese yen is the weakest G10 currency, losing about 0.5% and
slipping through last Friday's lows. At first, after Fed Chair Powell
did not endorse rate hike speculation, the market thought he was dovish. But after the
softer than expected jobs data and weakness in the ISM services, the market
shifted from...
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Dollar is Softer Ahead of the Employment Report
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...
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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...
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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...
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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...
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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...
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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...
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Greenback Losses Extended, but Look for Consolidation in North America
Overview: The softer-than-expected ISM services report caught the market leaning the wrong way. Although interest rates had a muted reaction, the dollar was sold. In fact, the Dollar Index saw its second-biggest loss of the year, falling by about 0.50%. ISM services prices paid increases moderated to their slowest since March 2020. Supplier deliveries improved to their best since 2009, suggesting a supply chain improvement. Still, the Fed funds...
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Rate Adjustment Underpins Greenback
Overview: The adjustment to US interest rates
continues and this helps underpin the US dollar. The 10-year yield rose to
4.40% yesterday, the highest it has been since last November. It is trading
4.34%-4.38% today. The two-year yield is firm though holding below the Q1 high
set last month near 4.75%. This week, for the first time since last October,
the Fed funds futures do not have at least a quarter point cut discounted for
July. As recently as...
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Gold, Oil, and Interest Rates Rise
Overview: The market put more weight on the rise in
the US ISM manufacturing survey than the downward revision to the manufacturing
PMI and the unexpected back-to-back decline in construction spending. US rates
shot up and lifted the greenback. The Dollar Index made a new high for the
year, a little above 105, which had been anticipated by the new lows recorded
by the Bannockburn
World Currency Index (a GDP-weighted basket of the currencies of...
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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...
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Market Hears a Dovish Fed and Sells the Greenback
Overview: The Federal Reserve triggered a dollar
sell-off yesterday and follow-through selling was seen in Asia before
profit-taking emerged. That created a new dollar selling opportunity in early European
turnover. The FOMC revised up this year's growth forecast, shaved the
unemployment projection, and while maintaining the PCE deflator forecast, and
the median dot remained for three cuts this year. The soft-landing scenario was
underscored and...
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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.
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Forex Becalmed with the Greenback Mostly Firmer in Narrow Ranges
(Business trip will interrupt the commentary over the next few days. Check out the March monthly here. Back with the Week Ahead on March 9. May have some comments on X @marcmakingsense.) Overview: Outside of the Australian and New Zealand
dollars, which are off by 0.20%-0.25%, the other G10 currencies are little
changed and mostly softer in narrow ranges. A firm Tokyo CPI, mostly on base
effects and softer rates helped keep the US dollar below...
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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.
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Ueda’s Comments Knock the Yen Back, while the Euro Flirts with $1.08
Overview: The US dollar is mixed today. The dollar-bloc currencies and the Scandis are enjoying a slightly firmer tone, while the euro and sterling are edging higher in European turnover.
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Yen Pops on BOJ Comments on Inflation, but the Dollar holds Most of Yesterday’s Gains against the other G10 Currencies
The dollar is mixed as the market awaits the US personal consumption expenditure deflator, which is the measure of inflation the Fed targets. While there is headline risk, we argue that the signal has already been generated by the CPI and PPI releases.
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Weak US Durable Goods may Herald Pullback in Capex
Most of the G10 currencies are trading quietly in narrow ranges today. After a slightly firmer than expected national CPI reading, which still moderated, and a pullback in US yields, the Japanese yen is the strongest of the major currencies.
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Euro Bid in Europe but Unlikely to Sustain Gains Through North America
Overview: The dollar is beginning the new week mixed. The
dollar-bloc currencies and Japanese yen are softer while the European
currencies enjoy a firmer today. Among emerging market currencies, central
European currencies are trading with higher. The Turkish lira is the notable
exception. It is the weakest currency today, off about 0.65%. The Chinese yuan
is a little softer, but the dollar continues to be capped near CNY7.20. Last
week, more often...
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