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☆ Dollar softer as U.S. debt ceiling crisis unresolved, inflation data eyed
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-10 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

An employee deals with U.S. one-hundred dollar banknotes at a bank on June 16, 2022 in Hai an, Nantong City, Jiangsu Province of China. The dollar weakened broadly on Wednesday after U.S. President Joe Biden and top lawmakers failed to break a deadlock on the debt ceiling crisis, though currency moves were marginal amid caution ahead of U.S. inflation data later in the day. "There has been a lot of attention lately on the debt ceiling issues," said Carol Kong, a currency strategist at Commonwealth Bank of Australia. Also preoccupying investors was U.S. inflation data, with economists polled by Reuters expecting a 5.5% year-on-year increase in core consumer prices for April. "I think markets are already expecting the Bank of Japan to make some moves."

☆ Stocks slide into Fed mode, shorts stalk banks
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-03 | by ( Tom Westbrook | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Overnight, tumbling regional bank stocks (.KRX) dragged the S&P 500 (.SPX) down 1.2% and oil dived more than 5% on fears that shaky bank confidence and signs of weakness in the U.S. job market were harbingers of a looming broader slowdown. Bonds rallied as investors reckoned the Federal Reserve, which sets policy later on Wednesday, will soon be switching from rate hikes to cuts. Among banks, PacWest Bancorp (PACW.O), down 27.8%, Western Alliance Bancorp (WAL.N), down 15.1%, and Comerica Inc (CMA.N) down 12.4%, were the biggest losers. If that happens, focus will be on whether or how hard Fed Chair Jerome Powell pushes back on investors' expectations for rate cuts by year's end. The Australian dollar has given back some of the ground gained on Tuesday, following a surprise rate hike from the central bank, and sat at $0.6670.

☆ Dollar slides on sluggish US data, Aussie steadies ahead of RBA
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-04 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Against the sliding dollar, the British pound and the Australian and New Zealand dollars rose to multi-week highs in early Asia trade on Tuesday. The kiwi rose 0.2% to $0.6310, its highest since mid-February, while the U.S. dollar index was marginally lower at 102.02, having fallen more than 0.5% on Monday. "The closest thing we get to good news in (the) report is that the slowing in the factory sector is pushing prices lower and supply chains are continuing to heal, benefiting from the slack. The RBA will pause policy tightening according to a poll of analysts, although a strong minority still forecast a hike. Data out last week showed Australian inflation slowed to an eight-month low in February, due in part to a sharp retreat in prices for holiday travel and accommodation.

☆ OPEC+ oil production cut: The surprise was in the timing, Mizuho Bank says
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-03 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailOPEC+ oil production cut: The surprise was in the timing, Mizuho Bank saysVishnu Varathan of the bank discusses OPEC+'s decision to cut more than 1 million barrels a day of oil and says the "underlying intent was never really too far off."

☆ Bearish bets on Asian FX return on renewed woes over Fed rate hikes - Reuters poll
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-23 | by ( Tejaswi Marthi | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/4] A Singapore dollar note is seen in this illustration photo May 31, 2017. However, recent comments from the Fed about hiking rates for longer dampened sentiment. They turned bearish on the Thai baht , Asia's best-performing currency this year, the Singapore dollar and the Malaysian ringgit for the first time in three months. The poll uses estimates of net long or short positions on a scale of minus 3 to plus 3. The survey findings are provided below (positions in U.S. dollar versus each currency):Reporting by Tejaswi Marthi in BengaluruOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ These high-dividend stocks are expected to rally, with analysts giving one 60% upside
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-21 | by ( Weizhen Tan | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

High-yielding stocks are back in the spotlight as volatility persists, inflation remains hot and Treasury yields continue to rise. Canadian firm Pembina Pipeline Corporation , as well as EOG Resources, offered high dividend yields at nearly 7% and almost 6% respectively. Both are also expected to have high earnings growth ahead, with forecasts of 146% for Pembina and 62% for EOG. Analysts also give EOG average potential upside of nearly 32%. Hong Kong-listed shipping logistics firm SITC International Holdings also had a notably high dividend yield of 8.5% and nearly 60% potential upside.

☆ Biden to name Fed's Lael Brainard as top economic advisor, source says
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-14 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Lael Brainard, vice chair of the US Federal Reserve, listens to a question during an interview in Washington, DC, US, on Monday, Nov. 14, 2022. U.S. President Joe Biden is expected to name Federal Reserve Vice Chair Lael Brainard to the White House's top economic policy position as early as Tuesday, a source familiar with the matter said on Monday. Brainard would replace White House National Economic Council (NEC) Director Brian Deese, who has announced his resignation. In addition, Biden confidant Jared Bernstein is expected to replace Cecilia Rouse as chair of the Council of Economic Advisers, the source said. "Under normal circumstances I would have thought that her advice to Biden would be very pro stimulus," he said.

☆ Biden to name Fed's Lael Brainard as top economic adviser - source
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-14 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Feb 13 (Reuters) - U.S. President Joe Biden is expected to name Federal Reserve Vice Chair Lael Brainard to the White House's top economic policy position as early as Tuesday, a source familiar with the matter said on Monday. Brainard would replace White House National Economic Council (NEC) Director Brian Deese, who has announced his resignation. In addition Biden confidant Jared Bernstein is expected to replace Cecilia Rouse as chair of the Council of Economic Advisers, the source said. The White House declined to comment. "Under normal circumstances I would have thought that her advice to Biden would be very pro stimulus," he said.

☆ Yields are popping again. Here's how investors can take advantage of that, according to the pros
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-14 | by ( Weizhen Tan | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

How can investors ride on higher yields? Buy high-quality or short-term fixed income BlackRock Investment Institute said it likes high-quality credit and short-end government bonds "as interest rates stay higher for longer." "Fixed income finally offers 'income' after yields surged globally. "We believe that investors should hold around 2% of cash in their portfolios and should use short-term fixed income (anything below a 2-year maturity) as a proxy for cash," Alvarado added. Wells Fargo Investment Institute's tactical portfolios are allocating between 2% (for "aggressive growth investors") and 17% (for conservative income investors) to short-term fixed income.

☆ Bullish bets on Asian FX ease as Fed rate-hike concerns weigh - Reuters poll
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-09 | by ( Himanshi Akhand | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Long positions on the South Korean won , the Singapore dollar and the Indonesian rupiah eased, while market participants turned bearish on the Indian rupee , according to a fortnightly poll of 10 respondents. The dollar is currently hovering near a one-month high after blockbuster U.S. jobs data last Friday boost expectations that the Fed may continue to hike rates to tame inflation. Investors also scaled back long bets on China's yuan , to a near one-month low, the Malaysian ringgit as well as Asia's best-performing currency this year, the Thai baht . Meanwhile, investors turned slightly bearish on the Indian rupee as concerns over a rout in local equities filtered into money markets. The poll uses estimates of net long or short positions on a scale of minus 3 to plus 3.

☆ US wage growth is slowing and not keeping pace with inflation — but that doesn't mean the Fed will stop hiking rates
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-01 | by ( Huileng Tan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Growth in US wages and salaries slowed to 1% in the fourth quarter of 2022, down from 1.3% in the previous quarter. As inflation remains high, the Fed may continue hiking interest rates — meaning wage growth could continue to trend slower. Wages and salaries for civilians rose 1% in the fourth quarter from a quarter ago, the Bureau of Labor Statistics said in a Tuesday report. In real terms though, wages and salaries actually declined by 1.2% for the whole of 2022, thanks to high inflation rates. But it doesn't mean the Fed's going to walk away from hiking rates because inflation remains elevated.

☆ Bank of Japan keeps yield control policy unchanged
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-18 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +7 min

MARKET REACTION:The Japanese stock market cheered the BOJ's decision with the Nikkei share average (.N225) jumping more than 2% after the midday break. Therefore, among equities, we think Japanese financials sector will have a rerating of valuations over the next 3-6 months." That could escalate when the new governor of the bank will be announced and towards the policy meeting in March." MOH SIONG SIM, CURRENCY STRATEGIST, BANK OF SINGAPORE, SINGAPORE"The can has been kicked down the road and the attention will shift to the next meeting. CHARU CHANANA, MARKET STRATEGIST, SAXO MARKETS, SINGAPORE:"I think the speculations will still continue.

Japan's Nikkei (.N225) fell 0.4% and the yen, which surged 2.7% against the dollar overnight, kept going and rose about 0.2% further to 128.65 per dollar. "No change in policy this month would be a setback for the yen," said Rabobank FX strategist Jane Foley. "However, we would look to buy the yen against the dollar on dips on anticipation of another (policy) move ... in the spring." INFLATION IN RETREATBeyond Japan, market sentiment was dominated by overnight U.S. December inflation data that landed more or less on consensus expectations. The U.S. dollar dropped 0.9% to a nine-month low of $1.0868 per euro and the risk-sensitive Australian dollar rose to a roughly five-month high at $0.6984.

☆ Asia stocks hit 4-month high on reopening of Chinese economy
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-05 | by ( Tom Westbrook | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan (.MIAPJ0000PUS) rose 1% to touch a four-month high in morning trade. China has abruptly dropped ultra-strict curbs on travel and activity, unleashing the virus on the nation's 1.4 billion people. The yuan rose about 0.2% to 6.8750 on Thursday. China has partially eased an unofficial ban on Australian coal imports and the Australian dollar made a three-week high overnight just below $0.69. In Europe, unseasonally warm weather has disappointed skiers but been a boon for a euro basking in falling gas prices.

☆ China is unlikely to hit GDP growth of above 5% for 2023: Mizuho Bank
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-05 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailChina is unlikely to reach GDP growth of above 5% for 2023, Mizuho Bank saysVishnu Varathan of the bank says a lack of business and household confidence could hold back the country's economic growth.

The dollar, a beneficiary of rising U.S. interest rates, was on track for its best annual performance in seven years. The dollar index , which measures the greenback against six major currencies, dipped 0.16%. Sterling was set for its worst performance against the dollar since 2016, when Britain voted to leave the European Union. "Averting a downturn is a tall order," said Vishnu Varathan, head of economics and strategy at Mizuho Bank, noting that the odds are stacked against economies emerging unscathed from global policy tightening. U.S. Treasuries and German bonds, the benchmarks of global borrowing markets, lost 16% and 24% respectively in dollar terms this year.

☆ Dollar powers through, eyes best year since 2015
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-30 | by ( Rae Wee | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

The U.S. dollar index , which measures the greenback against a basket of currencies, has surged more than 8% this year, the most since 2015. "I expect the king dollar to lose its crown and the dollar to make a more decisive turn by the middle of next year," Bank of Singapore currency strategist Moh Siong Sim said. It has fallen more than 13% year to date, its worst performance since 2013. The single currency had dipped below parity against the dollar earlier this year for the first time in almost two decades. The kiwi , which has fallen more than 7% year to date, the worst since 2015, slipped 0.31% to $0.6330.

☆ Asia stocks gain as investors find foothold at end of brutal 2022
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-30 | by ( Ankur Banerjee | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan (.MIAPJ0000PUS) rose 0.71%, but is set to end the year down 19% - its worst performance since 2008. Reuters GraphicsFutures indicated European stocks were unlikely to retain the end-of-year cheer, with the Eurostoxx 50 futures down 0.16%, German DAX futures 0.13% lower and FTSE futures down 0.01%. China's blue-chip CSI 300 Index (.CSI300) and the Shanghai Composite Index (.SSEC) were both up 0.6%, while Hong Kong's Hang Seng Index (.HSI) rose nearly 1%. In the currency market, the U.S. dollar was on track for its best annual performance in seven years. Sterling was set for its worst performance against the dollar since 2016, when the UK voted to leave the European Union.

☆ Asia stocks rise as investors find foothold at end of brutal 2022
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-30 | by ( Ankur Banerjee | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan (.MIAPJ0000PUS) rose 0.71% and was set to end December flat. The index is set to end the year down 19% - it's worst performance since 2008. Japan's Nikkei (.N225) rose 0.22%, while Australia's S&P/ASX 200 index (.AXJO) rose 0.34%. China stocks (.SSEC) were 0.63% higher, while Hong Kong's Hang Seng Index (.HSI) rose 1.5%. Sterling was set for its worst performance against the dollar since 2016, when the UK voted to leave the European Union.

☆ Dollar eyes best year since 2015; Fed rate path, China reopening to set tone
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-30 | by ( Rae Wee | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

The U.S. dollar index , which measures the greenback against a basket of currencies, has surged more than 8% this year, the most since 2015. But expectations that the central bank may not have to raise rates as high as previously feared have caused the greenback to unwind its towering rally. Conversely, an ultra-dovish Bank of Japan in the face of a hawkish Fed, has spelled pain for the Japanese yen . Policymakers from the European Central Bank and the Bank of England have signalled more rate hikes to come next year, in a bid to tame inflation even at the risk of hurting their economies. "The issue is whether the rapid reopening (in China) triggers fresh waves in some countries or regions, and that may lead to fresh restrictions.

SINGAPORE/LONDON, Dec 29 (Reuters) - The dollar slipped on Thursday after rising in the previous session, with investors on edge at the end of the year as initial optimism over China's reopening fizzled. The yen was last 0.56% higher at 133.72 against the dollar. That followed a 0.73% fall on Wednesday which saw the yen hit a one-week low of 134.50. It climbed as high as $1.206 earlier in the session but gave up some of its gains. Against a basket of currencies, the U.S. dollar index fell 0.08% to 104.26, having climbed 0.18% in the previous session.

SINGAPORE/LONDON, Dec 29 (Reuters) - The dollar slipped on Thursday after rising in the previous session, with investors on edge at the end of the year as initial optimism over China's reopening fizzled. The Japanese yen was last 0.64% higher at 133.66 against the dollar. That followed a 0.73% fall on Wednesday which saw the yen hit a one-week low of 134.50. Analysts warned against reading too much into price moves amid low trading volumes as markets head into the new year. Against a basket of currencies, the U.S. dollar index fell 0.11% to 104.23, having climbed 0.18% in the previous session.

☆ Dollar adrift as optimism over China reopening turns to caution
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-29 | by ( Rae Wee | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

SINGAPORE, Dec 29 (Reuters) - The dollar pared some gains on Thursday after riding long-end U.S. Treasury yields higher overnight, though investors remained on edge going into the year end as initial optimism over China's reopening fizzled. The speed at which the country has scrapped COVID rules has overwhelmed its health system and sparked concerns about the spread of the virus. The Japanese yen was last roughly 0.6% higher at 133.71 per dollar, languishing near a one-week low of 134.50 that was hit in the previous session. Sterling rose 0.1% to $1.2030, but was similarly not far off its three-week trough of $1.1993 hit last week. Meanwhile, the yield on the benchmark U.S. 10-year Treasury last stood at 3.8637%, after rising to a more than one-month high of 3.8920% overnight.

After hitting a one-week high against the yen on Wednesday, which saw the dollar touch 134.40, the greenback hit a session low against the yen on Thursday. The dollar last fell 1.050% versus the yen to 133.065. The dollar also fell against the Swiss franc to as low as 0.9208, the lowest level since March 31. Against a basket of currencies, the U.S. dollar index fell 0.23% to 104.100, having climbed 0.18% in the previous session. The aussie was last 0.28% versus the greenback at $0.676., while the kiwi last rose 0.55% versus the greenback at $0.634.

☆ Dollar steadies as optimism over China reopening turns to caution
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-29 | by ( Rae Wee | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

SINGAPORE, Dec 29 (Reuters) - The dollar steadied on Thursday after riding long-end U.S. Treasury yields higher overnight, as initial optimism over China's reopening fizzled. Following China's removal of its quarantine rule for inbound travellers beginning Jan. 8, countries such as the United States, Japan and India said they would require COVID tests for travellers from China. Sterling rose 0.19% to $1.2040, but was similarly not far off its three-week trough of $1.1993 hit last week. The uncertainty over the global economic outlook, along with mounting worries about a recession in the U.S., saw the two-year Treasury yield , which typically moves in step with interest rate expectations, slip overnight. Meanwhile, the yield on the benchmark U.S. 10-year Treasury last stood at 3.8656%, after rising to a more than one-month high of 3.8920% overnight.

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