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☆ Dollar dips as U.S. election outcome remains uncertain, Fed rate cut looms
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-04 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

The euro rose 0.4% to $1.0876 but faces resistance around $1.0905, while the dollar dipped 0.3% on the yen to 152.45 yen . Analysts believe Trump's policies on immigration, tax cuts and tariffs would put upward pressure on inflation, bond yields and the dollar, while Harris was seen as the continuity candidate. "A Harris win and a split Congress would likely result in 'Trump trades' quickly reversed and priced out," he added. Uncertainty over the outcome is one reason markets assume the Federal Reserve will choose to cut rates by a standard 25 basis points on Thursday, rather than repeat its outsized half-point easing. Futures imply a 99% chance of a quarter-point cut to 4.50%-4.75%, and an 83% probability of a similar-sized move in December.

Persons: Kamala Harris, Republican Donald Trump, Harris, Chris Weston, Trump, Goldman Sachs, Jan Hatzius Organizations: Democratic, Republican, Dealers, Trump, Reserve, of England, Norges Bank, Reserve Bank of Australia, Labor, China's National People's Congress, Reuters Locations: Asia, United States, Iowa, Treasuries, gilts, Beijing

☆ Bitcoin at 3-month high as Trump odds drive currencies
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-21 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Cryptocurrency bitcoin hit a three-month high in early Asia trading on Monday and the dollar looked set to extend its gains in markets counting down to the U.S. presidential election in two weeks. Bitcoin got a lift from Trump's improving prospects since his administration is seen as taking a softer line on cryptocurrency regulation. The clearest way to express the Trump tariff risk was to be long dollars versus the euro, Swiss franc and Mexican peso , he said. Brad Bechtel, global head of FX at Jefferies, also noted that rising real interest rates were helping the dollar along, particularly against those three currencies. "We expect this trend to continue straight into the election and if Trump wins, likely well after the election as well," Bechtel wrote.

Persons: Cryptocurrency bitcoin, Donald Trump, Bitcoin, Chris Weston, Pepperstone, Weston, Brad Bechtel, Bechtel Organizations: U.S, Trump, China, BTC, Swiss, FX, Jefferies Locations: Asia, U.S

☆ Dollar at over two-month high, yen near 150 per dollar
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-15 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

The U.S. dollar was perched at an over two-month high against major currencies on Tuesday, spurred by wagers the Federal Reserve will proceed with modest rate cuts in the near term, while the yen inched closer to the key 150 per dollar level. The U.S. dollar was perched at an over two-month high against major currencies on Tuesday, spurred by wagers the Federal Reserve will proceed with modest rate cuts in the near term, while the yen inched closer to the key 150 per dollar level. The U.S. central bank kicked off its easing cycle with an aggressive 50 basis points at its last policy meeting in September. The dollar got a lift after Fed Governor Christopher Waller on Monday called for "more caution" on interest rate cuts ahead, citing recent economic data. That has cast doubts over when Japan's central bank will next tighten policy.

Persons: Christopher Waller, Waller, Chris Weston, Kazuo Ueda, Shigeru Ishiba, Tony Sycamore Organizations: U.S, Reserve, European Central Bank, Fed, Traders, Boeing, Bank of Japan, New Zealand, Caixin Global, Treasury, IG, China National, Congress Locations: U.S, Japan, China

☆ Dollar on a roll after U.S. jobs data and Middle East flare-up
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-07 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Bank notes of the Chinese yuan, Japanese yen and the U.S. dollar. Japan's yen fell to its lowest in nearly two months and other major currencies too were grappling with losses early on Monday as the dollar extended a rally sparked by Friday's strong U.S. jobs data and an escalation in the Middle East conflict. But that came on top of a more than 4% decline last week, its biggest weekly percentage decline since early 2009. Yields dipped early last week when investors bought safe-haven Treasuries after Iran launched more than 180 missiles against Israel in escalating geopolitical tensions. Market expectations have swung to the extreme for the Federal Reserve to do just a 25 bps cut in November, rather than 50 bps, following the jobs data.

Persons: Friday's, Chris Weston, haven't, Brent, underperformance, Shigeru Ishiba, Sterling, Huw Pill, Andrew Bailey, BoE Organizations: U.S ., Federal, U.S, Treasuries, Federal Reserve, Bank of England Locations: China, East, Israel, Lebanon, Gaza, Iran, Japan

☆ Currencies listless as markets waffle over Fed rate cut
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-16 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

A quarter-point reduction by the Fed as it kicks off its rate cuts is still seen as the slightly more likely outcome, but only marginally so. Futures price a total of 125 basis points in rate cuts in 2024. Investors are also looking to the Bank of Japan's interest rate decision on Friday, when it is expected to keep its short-term policy rate target steady at 0.25%. Bank of Canada Governor Tiff Macklem meanwhile opened the door to stepping up the pace of interest rate cuts, the Financial Times reported on Sunday. The BoC, after keeping its key policy rate at 5%, a more than two-decade high, for a year, has trimmed it by a quarter point three times in a row since June.

Persons: Chris Weston, Fumio Kishida, Sanae Takaichi, Christine Lagarde, Philip R, Lane, Luis de Guindos Organizations: U.S, Bank of England, Bank of Japan, Treasury, Fed, FedWatch, Bank of, Liberal Democratic Party, Sterling, European Central Bank, ECB, Bank of Canada, Financial Times, BoC Locations: Japan, Asia, China, South Korea

☆ Biden's withdrawal from the presidential race spells uncertainty for the 'Trump trade'
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-22 | by ( Huileng Tan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Joe Biden's withdrawal from the 2024 presidential race is causing market uncertainty. Analysts now expect more market volatility after Biden pulled out of the race. AdvertisementUS President Joe Biden's withdrawal from the presidential election is throwing fresh uncertainty into the markets for a second straight week. Investors were already trying to position themselves for the so-called "Trump trade" following the failed assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump on July 13. Markets at large were relatively calm following Biden's withdrawal after the Trump trade gripped sentiment last week.

Persons: Joe Biden's, Trump, Biden, —, Donald Trump, Mark Haefele, Jim Reid, Kyle Rodda, Harris, Chris Weston, Pepperstone, Kamala Harris, Biden's, Haefele Organizations: Service, Trump, Republican, UBS Global Wealth Management's, Nasdaq, Treasury, Deutsche Bank, Democrats, Democratic Party, Democratic, UBS

☆ Dollar drifts as Powell comments bring September rate cut in focus
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-16 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

The dollar fell slightly on Monday after comments from Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell, while cryptocurrencies rose on bets that an assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump lifted his reelection chances. The dollar hung around five-week lows on Tuesday as comments from Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell bolstered the case for a rate cut in September, while cryptocurrencies gained on rising odds of former President Donald Trump getting reelected. The comments, likely Powell's last until his press conference following the Fed's July 30-31 meeting, shifted rate cut expectations. Markets are now anticipating 68 basis points of easing this year, with a rate cut in September fully priced in, CME FedWatch tool showed. "Markets may need to wait longer for the confirmation of their September rate cut hopes, and growth and labor data will be on the radar such as retail sales today."

Persons: Jerome Powell, Donald Trump, cryptocurrencies, Powell, We've, Charu Chanana, Trump, Gary Gensler, Chris Weston Organizations: Federal, Economic, of Washington, Saxo, Traders, Bank of Japan, Republican, cryptocurrency, San, SEC, New Zealand Locations: Tokyo, San Francisco

☆ Euro eases on French poll gridlock, dollar sluggish after US payrolls
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-08 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

The euro slipped on Monday after projections from France's election pointed to a hung parliament amid an unexpectedly strong showing for a left-wing alliance, spawning fresh uncertainty over the country's fiscal outlook. The euro slipped on Monday after projections from France's election pointed to a hung parliament amid an unexpectedly strong showing for a left-wing alliance, spawning fresh uncertainty over the country's fiscal outlook. The yen headed for a third day of gains after rebounding from last week's nearly 38-year trough to the dollar. The euro was 0.06% lower at $1.0827, and earlier slid as much as 0.4% as investors weighed the consequences of a hung French parliament. The dollar slipped 0.07% to 160.70 yen, down from as high as 161.96 on Wednesday.

Persons: Sterling, Emmanuel Macron's, Chris Weston, Macron, Weston, bitcoin Organizations: Federal Reserve, Labour, Conservative, New Popular Front, Le, Traders Locations: Gox

☆ Dollar finds footing as traders turn to U.S. services data
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-05 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

US Dollar notes and euro coins are arranged for a photograph on Sept. 11, 2017. The dollar steadied on Wednesday as traders pared back on riskier bets in emerging markets while waiting on an interest rate decision in Canada and on U.S. services data. Japanese real wages fell for a 25th straight month in April, data on Wednesday showed, as inflation outpaces nominal pay rises. The Swiss franc rose for a fourth straight session on the dollar overnight and at 0.8902 per dollar is close to breaking through its 200-day moving average. The New Zealand dollar was steady at $0.6173, while the Canadian dollar held the middle of a months-long range at C$1.3678 per dollar.

Persons: Jane Foley, Ryozo Himino, Narendra Modi, Chris Weston Organizations: Swiss, Bloomberg News, Bank of, Rabobank, BOJ, Westpac, New Zealand, African National Congress, Morena Locations: Canada, U.S, Bank of Japan, Asia, Japan, Morena

☆ Currencies tread cautiously after U.S. inflation report, focus on ECB
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-03 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

The dollar posted its first monthly decline of the year in May, weighed down by shifting expectations on when the U.S. central bank will cut rates and by how much. Traders are now pricing in about a 53% chance of a rate cut in September, versus about 49% before the report. The dollar index , which measures the U.S. currency against six rivals, was 0.067% lower at 104.51 on Monday. Sterling was 0.04% higher at $1.27475, while the euro last fetched $1.085325 ahead of the European Central Bank policy meeting on Thursday when the central bank is seen as almost certain to cut rates. The comments from ECB officials will be in focus for traders along with economic projections as they assess whether the central bank will provide further cuts after Thursday in the wake of data showing a rise in euro zone inflation in May.

Persons: Brian Jacobsen, Sterling, Chris Weston, Tony Sycamore, Sycamore Organizations: Federal Reserve, Traders, Annex Wealth Management, European Central Bank, ECB, Japan's Ministry of Finance, U.S, IG Locations: Buenos Aires, Argentina, U.S, Tokyo

☆ Currencies calm but cautious after a weary week
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-22 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

U.S. one hundred dollar bills are being shown in this picture illustration taken in Buenos Aires, Argentina, on Dec. 15, 2023. Eyes are on the yen this week, with the Bank of Japan's, or BOJ, Friday policy review the notable item on the economic calendar. The yen has been one of the biggest losers against the dollar this year, with losses mounting to 9%. The ECB's Robert Holzmann, however, said the ECB probably will not cut rates this year as much as planned if the Fed does not move. BoE Governor Andrew Bailey and Deputy Governor Dave Ramsden alluded last week to Britain's inflation slowing as expected.

Persons: Chris Weston, Weston, Kazuo Ueda, BoE, ECB policymaker Madis Muller, Christine Lagarde, Robert Holzmann, BoE Governor Andrew Bailey, Dave Ramsden, Sterling, Bitcoin Organizations: U.S ., Bank of Japan's, Federal Reserve, Monetary Fund, Bank, Washington , Bank of Japan, European Central Bank, Bank of England, ECB policymaker, ECB, Treasury Locations: Buenos Aires, Argentina, East, Tehran, Iran, Washington, United States, Japan, South Korea, Washington ,, U.S

☆ Thames Water: Britain’s biggest water company left in the lurch by shareholders
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-28 | by ( Anna Cooban | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

London CNN —Investors are refusing to inject billions in new money into Britain’s biggest water company, leaving the beleaguered business at risk of an emergency government takeover. “After more than a year of negotiations with the regulator, Ofwat has not been prepared to provide the necessary regulatory support for a business plan which ultimately addresses the issues that Thames Water faces,” the shareholders said. In its turnaround plan published in October, Thames Water, which is saddled with £14 billion ($17.7 million) in debt, proposed to jack up the average annual customer bill by 40% by 2030. The first £500 million ($630 million) of that sum was due by Sunday, March 31. “Based on the feedback provided by Ofwat to Thames Water to date, the regulatory arrangements that would be expected to apply to Thames Water… make the (turnaround plan) uninvestible,” the utility said in a statement Thursday.

Persons: Ofwat, Chris Weston, “, Jeremy Hunt, Weston, ”, Olesya Dmitracova Organizations: London CNN — Investors, Ofwat, Thames, Water, Reuters, Government, BBC Locations: Thames, London, England, China, Abu Dhabi, British, Wales

☆ Intervention threat curbs dollar's ascent towards new high on the yen
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-25 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

The dollar was on the front foot on Monday and kept the yen pinned near a multi-decade low, though the threat of currency intervention from Japanese authorities prevented the greenback from heading further north. "Japanese officials' verbal intervention is making 152 a very strong near-term resistance for dollar/yen," said Carol Kong, a currency strategist at Commonwealth Bank of Australia. "Markets are fully aware of a potential actual FX intervention from authorities, so I think that's keeping dollar/yen from moving substantially higher. "I think there is still a high risk that they will come in to prop up the yen if dollar/yen were to surge materially perhaps to 155. The yuan has been pressured by growing market expectations of further monetary easing to prop up the world's second-largest economy.

Persons: Carol Kong, That's, BoE, Andrew Bailey, Chris Weston Organizations: Bank of Japan's, Commonwealth Bank of Australia, Federal Reserve, European Central Bank, Bank of England, Swiss National Bank, Sterling, Financial Times, ECB, New Zealand Locations: Japan, United States

☆ Dollar scales fresh peaks as Fed cut bets recede
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-05 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

"A one-two punch from Jay Powell's FOMC presser and a very strong nonfarm payrolls report have essentially closed the door on a March rate cut," said Chris Weston, head of research at Pepperstone. The Japanese yen was last 0.15% lower at 148.58 per dollar, having hit a trough of 148.82 earlier in the session. Treasury yields also jumped on expectations of higher-for-longer U.S. rates, with the two-year yield, which typically reflects near-term interest rate expectations, last up nearly seven bps at 4.4386%. That did little to help the yuan, with the offshore yuan last marginally lower at 7.2182 per dollar, pressured by a stronger greenback. "So far we've just seen speculation and some media reports talking about further support for the equity market or the property market.

Persons: Jerome Powell's, Jay Powell's FOMC presser, Chris Weston, Powell, Carol Kong, CBA's Organizations: Federal Reserve, New, Traders, Fed, CBS, Sterling, Commonwealth Bank of Australia, Treasury Locations: Buenos Aires, Argentina, New Zealand

☆ Dollar struggles to retain gains even as March rate cut odds recede
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-22 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Japan's yen was the notable mover in otherwise quiet trading, as it tiptoed away from Friday's one-month low of 148.80. San Francisco Federal Reserve Bank President Mary Daly on Friday said she believes the U.S. economy and monetary policy are in a "good place" and it is premature to think rate cuts are imminent. Short-term interest rate futures market show traders are betting interest rate cuts will start in May, with the probability of a March cut dropping below 50%, down from near 80% in the first weeks of January, according to CME Group data. "The USD holds a fair relationship with the evolving implied pricing for a March Fed cut, where rate cut probability falls the USD rallies, and vice versa," he wrote. Much of the gains have come from investor bets on Fed rate cuts.

Persons: dovish, Mary Daly, Chris Weston, Pepperstone Organizations: U.S, of Japan's, Federal Reserve, San Francisco Federal Reserve Bank, Group, NatWest Markets, European Central Bank, ECB Locations: Japan, Europe, U.S

☆ Dollar advances as traders weigh rate cut expectations, eyes on data
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-16 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Traders are back projecting cuts of 160 bps this year, up from expectations of 140 bps last week. Chris Weston, head of research at Pepperstone, said the risk is that Waller could push back on market pricing for a March cut and show a lack of urgency to normalize policy. "That said, should he even remotely validate market pricing, then we should see U.S. 2-year bond yields fall further. Markets are pricing around 120 bps of rate cuts by the Bank of England in 2024, with the first one most likely in May. Elsewhere, the Australian dollar fell 0.43% to $0.6632, while the New Zealand dollar fell 0.39% to $0.6176.

Persons: Hamish Pepper, Christopher Waller, Waller, Chris Weston, Weston, Bank's Joachim Nagel Organizations: U.S, Federal, Bank of Japan, Fed, Traders, Asset Management, Treasury, Bank of England, New Zealand Locations: Tokyo, Japan, U.S

☆ Dollar wobbles; yuan on guard ahead of China data dump
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-15 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

The dollar ebbed on Monday on renewed expectations of a rate cut by the Federal Reserve in March, while the Chinese yuan struggled near a one-month low ahead of a slew of economic data this week. The offshore yuan languished near a one-month low of 7.1925 per dollar hit on Friday, and was last at 7.1861 per dollar. "I think more PBOC (People's Bank of China) easing is coming this year," said Carol Kong, a currency strategist at Commonwealth Bank of Australia. "I don't think (Monday's move) will materially weigh on the (yuan) because a rate cut is more or less priced in. The Australian dollar , often used as a liquid proxy for the yuan, edged 0.07% higher to $0.6690.

Persons: China's, Sterling, Chris Weston, Carol Kong, Party's Lai Ching, te, Goldman Sachs Organizations: Federal Reserve, Traders, U.S, Treasury, CPI, PPI, Bank of, People's Bank of China, Commonwealth Bank of Australia, Australian, New Zealand, Democratic, Taiwan Locations: Asia, U.S, Bank of Japan, China, Taiwan

☆ Dollar gains on yen, bitcoin edges up before expected SEC decision
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-10 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

The SEC was expected to announce later in the day whether it will approve applications from asset managers Ark Investments and 21Shares (ABTC.S) to launch a spot bitcoin ETF. More than a dozen bitcoin ETF applications - including from BlackRock (BLK.N), Fidelity and VanEck - are also pending with the agency. The Consumer Price Index (CPI) due out on Thursday is the next likely driver of dollar direction. It is expected to show that headline inflation rose 0.2% in the month and by 3.2% on an annual basis. Anticipation of a positive SEC decision on ETFs, which is likely to draw billions of dollars in new investments, has boosted bitcoin prices in the past two months.

Persons: Exchange Commission's, Marc Chandler, Chandler, bitcoin, Chris Weston, Ethereum Organizations: Federal Reserve, U.S . Securities, Exchange, SEC, Ark Investments, BlackRock, Fidelity, Institute for Supply Management, Index, Fed, Bank of Japan Locations: U.S, Bannockburn, New York, Japan

☆ Asian stocks stutter ahead of Fed, frail yen in focus
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-01 | by ( Ankur Banerjee | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Passersby are reflected on an electric stock quotation board outside a brokerage in Tokyo, Japan April 18, 2023. "Once again market players have been left frustrated by the lack of urgency shown by the BOJ, and either closed yen longs or flipped into outright yen shorts." The yen strengthened 0.27% to 151.26 per dollar following the comments but remained close to one-year lows of 151.74 it touched on Tuesday. FED AWAITSOvernight, Wall Street's main indexes ended higher, with investors looking ahead to the Fed policy decision later in the day, when the central bank is expected to stand pat on interest rates. Oil prices inched higher ahead of the Fed decision, with the market keeping a close eye on the latest developments in the Israel-Hamas conflict.

Persons: Issei Kato, HSI, Chris Weston, Masato Kanda, Jerome Powell, Erik Weisman, Powell, Sterling, Brent, Ankur Banerjee, Shri Navaratnam Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Federal Reserve, Japan's Nikkei, China, Bank of, ING, Traders, MFS Investment Management, Treasury, Thomson Locations: Tokyo, Japan, Rights SINGAPORE, Asia, Pacific, Israel

☆ Yen rises on speculation of Bank of Japan policy tweak; dollar ebbs
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-31 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

A 1000 yen note on a tray at a souvenir shop in Hakone, Japan, on Tuesday, Nov. 22, 2022. The yen hovered near a two-week high on Tuesday, boosted by a report that the Bank of Japan, or BOJ, could further tweak a key bond yield policy tool when it announces its monetary decision later in the day. The dollar looked set to end the month largely unchanged against a basket of currencies, having lost some steam after a roughly 2.5% gain in September. Against the euro, the yen last stood at 158.24, having similarly risen to an over one-week high of 157.70 per euro on Monday. Elsewhere, the Australian dollar shed 0.09% to $0.6368 and was headed for a monthly loss of more than 1%.

Persons: Chris Weston, Thierry Wizman, Sterling Organizations: Bank of Japan, Federal Reserve, Nikkei, Australian, Bank of England, European Central Bank, New Zealand Locations: Hakone, Japan, Gaza, Germany, Wells Fargo

☆ Dollar holds near 150 yen as central bank policy, data deluge awaited
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-30 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

A Chinese bank employee counts 100-yuan notes and U.S. dollar bills at a bank counter in Nantong in China's eastern Jiangsu province on August 6, 2019. The dollar inched broadly higher in cautious trade on Monday and held near 150 yen as traders looked to a policy decision by the Bank of Japan later in the week, alongside other major central bank meetings and a slew of economic data releases globally. A PMI data deluge, inflation figures in the euro zone and U.S. nonfarm payrolls also add to the mix of the event-packed week. "I think for the FOMC and the Bank of England, they will be pretty low key with them leaving interest rates on hold. The yen was last 0.1% lower at 149.75 per dollar, getting a slight reprieve after having struck a one-year trough of 150.78 per dollar last week.

Persons: nonfarm payrolls, Carol Kong, Israel, Chris Weston, Christian Scherrmann Organizations: Bank of, U.S . Federal Reserve, Bank of England, Commonwealth Bank of Australia, New Zealand, Aussie, Fed Locations: Nantong, China's, Jiangsu, Bank of Japan, Gaza's, Palestinian, U.S

☆ Dollar holds near 150 yen as c.bank policy, data deluge awaited
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-30 | by ( Rae Wee | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Euro, Hong Kong dollar, U.S. dollar, Japanese yen, British pound and Chinese 100-yuan banknotes are seen in a picture illustration shot January 21, 2016. A PMI data deluge, inflation figures in the euro zone and U.S. nonfarm payrolls also add to the mix of the event-packed week. "I think for the FOMC and the Bank of England, they will be pretty low key with them leaving interest rates on hold. The BOJ meeting will be the most interesting one (given) heightened speculation over a policy tweak at this meeting." The yen was last 0.1% lower at 149.75 per dollar, getting a slight reprieve after having struck a one-year trough of 150.78 per dollar last week.

Persons: Jason Lee, nonfarm payrolls, Carol Kong, Israel, Chris Weston, Christian Scherrmann, Rae Wee, Muralikumar Organizations: Hong, REUTERS, Rights, Bank of, U.S . Federal Reserve, Bank of England, Commonwealth Bank of Australia, New Zealand, Aussie, Fed, Thomson Locations: Hong Kong, Rights SINGAPORE, Bank of Japan, Gaza's, Palestinian, U.S

☆ Asian shares hit 11-month lows; focus on US economic data
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-24 | by ( Ankur Banerjee | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan (.MIAPJ0000PUS) was 0.28% lower at 473.37, having touched 472.73 - the lowest since November 2022. China shares remained under pressure, with the Shanghai Composite Index (.SSEC) 0.32% higher, while Hong Kong's Hang Seng Index (.HSI) slid 0.5%. China's blue-chip CSI300 Index (.CSI300) was 0.2% higher after closing at its lowest level in 4-1/2 years on Monday. The dollar index was 0.038% lower at 105.56. The Japanese currency was last at 149.62 per dollar, having hit the symbolic 150 level on both Friday and Monday.

Persons: Tyrone Siu, Hong, Gary Dugan, bitcoin, Chris Weston, Jamie Freed Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, U.S . Federal Reserve, Nikkei, Shanghai, Dalma, Microsoft, Facebook, U.S . Commerce Department, Treasury, West Texas, Brent, Thomson Locations: Exchange, Hong Kong, China, Rights SINGAPORE, Asia, Israel, Pacific, Japan, Britain, France, United States

☆ Nervous markets eye Gaza as oil hovers above $90
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-16 | by ( Kevin Buckland | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Netanyahu agreed to lift a blockade of water supplies to parts of southern Gaza after speaking with U.S. President Joe Biden. Brent crude futures reached a new recent high of $91.20 on Monday before easing back slightly to $90.84, following Friday's 5.7% surge. Japan's Nikkei share average (.N225) fell more than 1%, while Australia's S&P/ASX 200 index (.AXJO) lost 0.15% in early trading. On Friday, the pan-European STOXX 600 index (.STOXX) lost 0.98 and New York's S&P 500 (.SPX) declined 0.50%, although U.S. stock futures pointed 0.18% higher on Monday. Currencies overall retraced some of their moves from the end of the week, with the U.S. dollar index easing slightly to 106.55 from as high as 106.79 on Friday.

Persons: Androniki, Israel's shekel, Benjamin Netanyahu, Antony Blinken, Netanyahu, Joe Biden, Australia's, Chris Weston, Kevin Buckland, Lincoln Organizations: Nikkei, REUTERS, Rights, U.S, Brent, Treasury, Thomson Locations: Tokyo, Japan, Gaza, Israel

☆ Buoyant dollar pushes fragile yen to within striking distance of 150
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-02 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Photo taken on April 20, 2022 shows the Japanese yen and U.S. dollar banknotes in Tokyo, Japan. The dollar kicked off the last quarter of the year on the front foot on Monday as the prospect of higher-for-longer U.S. rates provided solid support, pushing the yen to an 11-month low. Sterling was last 0.13% lower at $1.2188, having similarly slid nearly 4% against the dollar in the third quarter. "This puts the 1 November FOMC meeting back on the table as a potential venue for a further 25-basis-point rate hike." Elsewhere, the Australian dollar fell 0.07% to $0.64305, while the kiwi edged 0.1% lower to $0.59925.

Persons: Olivier d'Assier, Jarrod Kerr, Sterling, Kiwibank's Kerr, Chris Weston Organizations: U.S, Congress, Democratic, U.S . Labor Department, CPI Locations: Tokyo, Japan, Asia, Australia, China

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