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☆ Dollar set for weekly loss as crucial US jobs data looms
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-01 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

The dollar was on course to snap a six-week winning streak against major peers on Friday, as it headed into a pivotal monthly U.S. jobs report that is likely to inform the path for Federal Reserve policy over coming months. Elsewhere, the Chinese yuan strengthened after the nation's central bank cut forex reserve requirements for the first time in a year. It slipped 0.08% to 145.405 yen on Friday, putting its loss for the week at 0.7%. The single currency was little changed at $1.08455 following a 0.74% tumble on Thursday that pared its weekly advance to 0.49%. "Pill's comments appear consistent with another quarter-point turn of the screw on 21 September, but not necessarily thereafter," Attrill said.

Persons: pare, Ray Attrill, Huw Pill, Attrill, bitcoin, Bitcoin Organizations: Federal Reserve, U.S, National Australia Bank, ECB, Bank of England, People's Bank of, Securities and Exchange Commission, SEC Locations: Asia, People's Bank of China

☆ Oil set to snap two-week losing streak on tightening supplies
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-01 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Oil prices were set to snap a two-week losing streak as they rose for a fourth consecutive session on Friday due to tightening supplies and expectations of the OPEC+ group of oil producers extending output cuts to the end of the year. U.S. crude inventories fell by a more-than-expected 10.6 million barrels last week, government data on Wednesday showed. Commercial crude oil inventories have plunged by 34 million barrels since the middle of July. A weaker U.S. dollar, which looks set to end a six week winning streak, also helped prices. A stronger dollar pressures oil demand by making the commodity more expensive for buyers holding other currencies.

Persons: Brent Organizations: U.S . West Texas, bbl, Organization Petroleum Exporting, National Australia Bank, ANZ, Federal Reserve Locations: OPEC, Saudi Arabia, U.S

☆ Oil slips as demand worries outweigh supply concerns
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-29 | by ( Emily Chow | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Mandatory credit Kyodo/via REUTERS Acquire Licensing RightsSINGAPORE, Aug 29 (Reuters) - Oil prices slipped on Tuesday as worries that further possible U.S. interest rate hikes could pull down demand outweighed concerns that a tropical storm off the U.S. Gulf Coast may impact supply. Investors await key U.S. economic data later this week that will help determine the path of interest rates this year and next. FEDWATCH"It may be difficult for oil prices to maintain the strong bull trend (seen) in July at this stage. The U.S. and European economies will face downward pressure in the fourth quarter until interest rates peak," said CMC Markets analyst Leon Li. "So there might be a concern about demand, which puts pressure on oil prices.

Persons: Brent, Jerome Powell, Leon Li, Idalia, Emily Chow, Arathy, Tom Hogue Organizations: Kyodo, REUTERS Acquire, Rights, U.S, West Texas, Federal, National Australia Bank, Thomson Locations: Idemitsu, Ichihara, Tokyo, Japan, U.S, Gulf, Beijing, WTI, Cuba, Florida, Singapore, Houston, Lincoln

☆ Oil trades flat as supply concerns offset worries over demand
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-29 | by ( Emily Chow | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Mandatory credit Kyodo/via REUTERS Acquire Licensing RightsSINGAPORE, Aug 29 (Reuters) - Oil prices traded flat on Tuesday as worries that further possible U.S. interest rate hikes could pull down demand were countered by concerns a tropical storm off the U.S. Gulf Coast may impact supply. Investors await key U.S. economic data later this week that will help determine the path of interest rates this year and next. FEDWATCH"It may be difficult for oil prices to maintain the strong bull trend (seen) in July at this stage. The U.S. and European economies will face downward pressure in the fourth quarter until interest rates peak," said CMC Markets analyst Leon Li. "So there might be a concern about demand, which puts pressure on oil prices.

The dollar index , which measures the U.S. currency against six peers, edged 0.08 lower to 104.08 after hitting its highest since early June on Friday. "It remains unlikely we get a hike from the Fed in September," Chris Weston, head of research at Pepperstone, said. With the Fed highlighting the importance of the upcoming U.S. economic data, investors' focus this week will be on reports on payrolls, core inflation and consumer spending. But the single currency traded near an almost 11-week low hit on Friday after European Central Bank President Christine Lagarde said policy needed to be restrictive. China's yuan steadied against the dollar, buoyed by the Chinese central bank repeatedly setting stronger-than-expected daily-mid-points.

Persons: Dado Ruvic, Jackson, Jerome Powell, Chris Weston, Weston, Rodrigo Catril, Christine Lagarde, Tommy Wu, Joice Alves, Ankur Banerjee, Mark Potter, Barbara Lewis Organizations: REUTERS, Fed, National Australia Bank, European Central Bank, Bank of Japan, Sterling, London, Thomson Locations: SINGAPORE, U.S, China, Japan, London, Singapore

The dollar index , which measures the U.S. currency against six peers, edged 0.06% lower at 104.11, after hitting its highest since early June on Friday. "But November is shaping up to be a 'live' event, where data points have the potential to throw interest rate expectations around." With the Fed highlighting the importance of the upcoming U.S. economic data, investors' focus this week will firmly be on reports on payrolls, core inflation and consumer spending. According to Refinitiv data, the market is now evenly split on whether there will be another rise in the 3.75% rate in September. China's yuan steadied against the dollar, buoyed by the Chinese central bank persistently setting stronger-than-expected daily-mid-points.

Persons: Dado Ruvic, Jerome Powell, Powell, Chris Weston, Weston, Rodrigo Catril, Christine Lagarde, Tommy Wu, Joice Alves, Ankur Banerjee, Mark Potter Organizations: REUTERS, Fed, National Australia Bank, European Central Bank, Bank of Japan, Thomson Locations: SINGAPORE, China, Beijing, U.S, Japan, London, Singapore

☆ Dollar soft as investors digest 'higher for longer' path
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-28 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

"We will proceed carefully as we decide whether to tighten further or, instead, to hold the policy rate constant and await further data," Powell said in a keynote address. "It is the Fed's job to bring inflation down to our 2% goal, and we will do so." "It remains unlikely we get a hike from the Fed in September," said Chris Weston, head of research at Pepperstone. The single currency was up 0.04% to $1.0804, while the pound was last at $1.2599, up 0.17% on the day. The Australian dollar rose 0.55% to $0.644, while the New Zealand dollar gained 0.32% versus the greenback to $0.592.

Persons: Jerome Powell, Powell, Chris Weston, Weston, Rodrigo Catril Organizations: Fed, National Australia Bank, Bank of Japan, New Zealand Locations: Chicago, U.S, Japan

☆ Aussie lender NAB to cut 10% jobs in markets division, Australian Financial Review reports
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-27 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

The National Australia Bank Logo is seen on a branch in central Sydney, Australia, February 8, 2018. REUTERS/Daniel Munoz/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsAug 28 (Reuters) - National Australia Bank (NAB.AX) is preparing to cut around 60 jobs of the 600-staff at its markets division and undertake a broad restructuring exercise across its seven business, the Australian Financial Review said on early on Monday citing sources. The country's second-biggest bank would begin the layoffs as early as this week but is yet to announce the changes internally, AFR said. Layoffs at NAB would include capital markets types working within its corporate and institutional banking unit, where its markets business sits with a team of about 600. Reporting by Poonam Behura in Bengaluru; Editing by Alison WilliamsOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Daniel Munoz, AFR, Poonam, Alison Williams Organizations: National, REUTERS, National Australia Bank, Australian Financial, Commonwealth Bank of Australia, Westpac Banking Corp, NAB, Thomson Locations: Sydney, Australia, Bengaluru

☆ Australia hurt by inflation but unlikely to enter recession - NAB CEO
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-24 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

A customer looks at products marked with discounted prices on display at a chemist in a shopping mall in central Sydney, Australia, July 25, 2018. "Inflation, while slowing, has hurt Australians more during the past 18 months than it has for three decades," National Australia Bank (NAB) CEO Ross McEwan said in a speech at the Australia-Israel Chamber of Commerce. "There is a lot of discussion as to whether Australia will head into a recession as we do have many headwinds. NAB and the three other large lenders which dominate Australia's A$2 trillion ($1.3 trillion) mortgage market have recorded only modest increases in late repayments as unemployment remains near record lows. Immigration to Australia has returned to levels similar to before COVID-19 prompted global border closures, leading to a shortage of housing and underpinning prices.

Persons: David Gray, Ross McEwan, McEwan, Byron Kaye, Himani Sarkar Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, National Australia Bank, NAB, Israel Chamber of Commerce, Reserve Bank, Thomson Locations: Sydney, Australia, Israel, COVID, Lincoln

☆ Westpac flags higher expenses in quarterly update; shares drop
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-21 | by ( Archishma Iyer | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Shares of Sydney-based Westpac fell about 2.1% to trade at A$20.82 at 0040 GMT, hitting their lowest since July 12. Broadly, Australia's major banks have all flagged stiff competition in the mortgage space, along with higher expenses as inflationary pressures weigh. The higher interest rates have also contributed to increased living costs, which are pushing up debt arrears. Westpac did not publish a comparable quarterly net profit figure for the same period a year earlier. The figure reported on Monday was below the A$2 billion average profit for the first two quarters of fiscal 2023.

Persons: David Gray, Riya Sharma, Archishma Iyer, Sam Holmes, Christopher Cushing Organizations: Australia's Westpac Banking Corp, REUTERS, Westpac Banking Corp, Sydney, Westpac, Citi, Commonwealth Bank of Australia, Australia Bank, Thomson Locations: Sydney, Australia

☆ Westpac flags margin squeeze from rising home loan competition
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-20 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/David Gray Acquire Licensing RightsSummaryCompanies Reports quarterly cash profit A$1.8 billionLate loan repayments rises to 0.8% in AustraliaCET1 Ratio of 11.9%Aug 21 (Reuters) - Westpac Banking Corp (WBC.AX), Australia's third-largest lender, on Monday posted a quarterly cash profit of A$1.8 billion ($1.15 billion), as increased competition for home lending squeezed margins. Australia's major banks have all flagged stiff competition in the mortgage space, along with higher expenses as inflationary pressures weigh. Sydney-based Westpac said expenses for the second half to date were up 5% from the first half, fuelled by higher supplier costs and staff wages. In Australia, loan repayments past 90 days late rose to 0.80% in the three-months ended June, up 7 basis points from 0.73% in March, Westpac said. The lender reported a core net interest margin of 1.86% for the quarter, down 4 basis points from the first half of fiscal 2023.

Persons: David Gray, Riya Sharma, Archishma Iyer, Lisa Shumaker, Sam Holmes Organizations: Australia's Westpac Banking Corp, REUTERS, Westpac Banking Corp, Westpac, Commonwealth Bank of Australia, Australia Bank, Thomson Locations: Sydney, Australia

☆ Dollar set for fifth winning week on Fed bets, China worries
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-18 | by ( Kevin Buckland | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

U.S. Dollar and Chinese Yuan banknotes are seen in this illustration picture taken June 14, 2022. Strong economic data this week, particularly retail sales, had already bolstered the case for additional tightening. That all helped push 10-year Treasury yields to the highest since October at 4.328% on Thursday. "The risk aversion, the higher yields, the resilient economic data ... all of those things have played out to perfection for the U.S. Against the yen, the dollar eased 0.32% to 145.365 on Friday, after reaching a nine-month peak of 146.40 overnight.

Persons: Florence Lo, Tony Sycamore, Sycamore, Ray Attrill, Kevin Buckland, Jacqueline Wong, Simon Cameron, Moore Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, People's Bank of, U.S, Federal, IG, U.S ., National Australia Bank, Reuters, HK, . Treasury, Thomson Locations: Beijing, People's Bank of China, China, U.S

☆ Oil falls on China worries despite tighter US supply
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-16 | by ( Trixie Sher Li Yap | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC)'s Dalian Petrochemical Corp refinery is seen near the downtown of Dalian in Liaoning province, China July 17, 2018. "Concerns that China's faltering economy will weigh on demand offset tight supply in the oil market," ANZ analysts said in a client note. "Crude inventories at the Cushing hub are seen to be falling to their lowest level since April. U.S. crude stocks dropped by about 6.2 million barrels last week, according to market sources citing American Petroleum Institute figures. Supply cuts by Saudi Arabia and Russia, part of the OPEC+ group comprising the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and allies, have pushed up oil prices over the past seven weeks.

Persons: Chen Aizhu, Cushing, Rystad, Claudio Galimberti, Arathy Somasekhar, Trixie Yap, Sonali Paul Organizations: China National Petroleum Corporation, Dalian Petrochemical Corp, REUTERS, Brent, U.S, West Texas, ANZ, American Petroleum Institute, Reuters, National Australia Bank, of, Petroleum, Thomson Locations: China, Dalian, Liaoning province, Beijing, Saudi, Saudi Arabia, Russia, OPEC, Houston, Singapore

☆ Yen treads on intervention zone; kiwi, Aussie dollars hit by China woes
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-16 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

The China gloom saw the Australian and New Zealand dollars, often used as liquid proxies for the yuan, tumbling to their lowest levels since November in early Asia trade. The Aussie bottomed at $0.6440, while the kiwi slid to a low of $0.5939, ahead of a rate decision by the Reserve Bank of New Zealand later on Wednesday. "But where we are at the moment, I think the jawboning will continue but I'm not convinced that we'll see intervention." The greenback predictably rode Treasury yields higher, with the dollar index eking out a slight gain to 103.22. The euro was little changed at $1.0902, while sterling dipped 0.05% to $1.2696, ahead of U.K. inflation data due later on Wednesday.

Persons: Aninda Mitra, Shunichi Suzuki, Ray Attrill, I'm Organizations: New, Reserve Bank of New, People's Bank of, BNY Mellon Investment Management, Finance, National Australia Bank, Federal Reserve, Treasury Locations: Asia, Beijing, China, New Zealand, Reserve Bank of New Zealand, People's Bank of China, Japan

☆ Yen treads on intervention zone; kiwi, Aussie dlrs hit by China woes
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-16 | by ( Rae Wee | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Banknotes of Japanese yen are seen in this illustration picture taken September 22, 2022. The Aussie bottomed at $0.6440, while the kiwi slid to a low of $0.5939, ahead of a rate decision by the Reserve Bank of New Zealand later on Wednesday. "But where we are at the moment, I think the jawboning will continue but I'm not convinced that we'll see intervention." The greenback predictably rode Treasury yields higher, with the dollar index ekeing out a slight gain to 103.22. The euro was little changed at $1.0902, while sterling dipped 0.05% to $1.2696, ahead of UK inflation data due later on Wednesday.

Persons: Florence Lo, Aninda Mitra, Shunichi Suzuki, Ray Attrill, I'm, Rae Wee, Shri Navaratnam Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, New, Reserve Bank of New, People's Bank of, BNY Mellon Investment Management, Finance, National Australia Bank, Federal Reserve, Treasury, Thomson Locations: Asia, Beijing, China, New Zealand, Reserve Bank of New Zealand, People's Bank of China, Japan

☆ Aussie lender NAB's quarterly margins decline on stiff competition
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-14 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The National Australia Bank Logo is seen on a branch in central Sydney, Australia, February 8, 2018. A high interest rate environment has benefited Australian banks, but they now face headwinds from rising bad debt and increasing competition for mortgages. Last week, the country's biggest lender Commonwealth Bank of Australia (CBA.AX) posted record annual profit on the back of rising interest rates, but warned higher living costs were pushing up debt arrears and competition was squeezing margins. NAB's net interest margin - a key measure of profitability - slipped to 1.72% in the April-June quarter from 1.77% as at March 31. The country's second-biggest lender, however, reported a 5% increase in cash earnings from higher interest rates.

Persons: Daniel Munoz, NIM, Ross McEwan, Upasana Singh, Archishma Iyer, Shilpi Majumdar, Shinjini Organizations: National, REUTERS, National Australia Bank, Commonwealth Bank of Australia, NAB, CBA, Analysts, Thomson Locations: Sydney, Australia, 3Q23, Bengaluru

☆ Aussie lender NAB's Q3 margins decline; shares up on cash earnings beat
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-14 | by ( Archishma Iyer | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The National Australia Bank Logo is seen on a branch in central Sydney, Australia, February 8, 2018. Shares of the country's second-biggest bank rose 1.3% to trade at A$28.70 at 0115 GMT. Last week, the country's biggest lender Commonwealth Bank of Australia (CBA.AX) posted record annual profit but warned higher living costs were pushing up debt arrears and competition was squeezing margins. "Consensus NIM expectations might need to moderate down, but the current run rate in earnings would suggest NAB is on track to deliver on fourth quarter FY23 cash earnings expectations," analysts from UBS wrote. It posted cash earnings of A$1.90 billion, compared with A$1.80 billion a year earlier and beating a Visible Alpha consensus of A$1.83 billion.

Persons: Daniel Munoz, NIM, Ross McEwan, Upasana Singh, Archishma Iyer, Shilpi Majumdar, Shinjini, Sohini Organizations: National, REUTERS, National Australia Bank, Commonwealth Bank of Australia, NAB, UBS, Thomson Locations: Sydney, Australia, 3Q23, Bengaluru

A 3D-printed oil pump jack is seen in front of displayed OPEC logo in this illustration picture, April 14, 2020. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/File PhotoSummary OPEC flags healthy oil market fundamentals in second halfUS consumer prices rise moderately in JulyChina tips into deflation as efforts to stoke recovery falterBEIJING, Aug 11 (Reuters) - Oil prices fell marginally on Friday as investors weighed optimistic demand forecasts from the OPEC producer group against mixed economic data in top importer China. Brent crude fell 15 cents to $86.25 a barrel at 0515 GMT, while U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude futures were down 13 cents at $82.69 a barrel. Market sentiment was also lifted by Thursday's U.S. consumer prices data for July, which fuelled speculation the Federal Reserve is nearing the end of its aggressive rate hike cycle. Data this week also showed China's consumer prices fell into deflation and factory gate prices extended declines in July, raising concerns about fuel demand in the world's second-largest economy.

Persons: Dado, Brent, Tina Teng, Teng, Baden Moore, Moore, Stephanie Kelly, Andrew Hayley, Shri Navaratnam, Simon Cameron Organizations: REUTERS, China, U.S, West Texas, CMC Markets, The, of Petroleum Exporting, Thursday's U.S, Federal Reserve, National Australia Bank, bbl, Thomson Locations: China, BEIJING, OPEC, Auckland, June's, Saudi Arabia, Russia, Ukraine, Baden, 2H23, New York, Beijing

A 3D-printed oil pump jack is seen in front of displayed OPEC logo in this illustration picture, April 14, 2020. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/File PhotoSummary OPEC flags healthy oil market fundamentals in second halfUS consumer prices rise moderately in JulyChina tips into deflation as efforts to stoke recovery falterBEIJING, Aug 11 (Reuters) - Oil prices were largely unchanged in Asian morning trade as investors weighed optimistic demand forecasts from the OPEC producer group against mixed economic data in top importer China. In 2024, "solid" economic growth amid continued improvements in China is expected to boost oil consumption, it added. Market sentiment was also lifted by Thursday's U.S. consumer prices data for July, which fuelled speculation the Federal Reserve is nearing the end of its aggressive rate hike cycle. However, Teng also noted that "China’s sluggish economic data and the retreat on Wall Street weighs on risk sentiment, and a strengthened USD also pressured commodity prices".

Persons: Dado, Brent, Tina Teng, Teng, Baden Moore, Moore, Stephanie Kelly, Andrew Hayley, Shri Navaratnam, Simon Cameron Organizations: REUTERS, China, U.S, West Texas, CMC Markets, The, of, Petroleum, Thursday's U.S, Federal Reserve, National Australia Bank, bbl, Thomson Locations: China, BEIJING, OPEC, Auckland, June's, Saudi Arabia, Russia, Ukraine, Baden, 2H23, New York, Beijing

"We're going to see our first rise in headline inflation after 12 consecutive months of falling prices," said Ben Laidler, global markets strategist at eToro. The pan-European benchmark STOXX 600 (.STOXX) rose 0.5%, supported by gains in the luxury sector (.STXLUXP) after China lifted a ban on group tours in the United States and other key markets. In currency markets, the dollar index , which measures the U.S. currency against six peers, eased 0.4%. "We've got $1 trillion coming down the pipe over the next three months," eToro's Laidler said. "Any sign that markets are absorbing that well, which we got the first signs of yesterday, will be very well taken."

Persons: Ben Laidler, Laidler, Germany's DAX, Rodrigo Catril, We've, eToro's Laidler, Bond, Brent, Samuel Indyk, Ankur Banerjee, Edwina Gibbs, Sam Holmes, Susan Fenton, Alexandra Hudson Organizations: Silicon Valley Bank, Credit Suisse, Reuters, CAC, FTSE, Wall, National Australia Bank, U.S, Treasury, Alexandra Hudson Our, Thomson Locations: Frankfurt, Silicon, China, United States, Europe's, Europe, CHINA, U.S, Asia, Pacific, Japan, Beijing, Saudi Arabia, Russia

☆ Asian shares slip on China worries; U.S. inflation figures awaited
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-10 | by ( Ankur Banerjee | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

REUTERS/Kim Kyung-HoonSINGAPORE, Aug 10 (Reuters) - Asian stocks lost ground on Thursday, still hurting from China's slip into deflation, with investors particularly cautious ahead of a crucial U.S. inflation report that will likely influence the Federal Reserve's monetary policy path. The announcement of a U.S. ban on investments in sensitive technologies in the world's second-largest economy also weighed on sentiment. MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan (.MIAPJ0000PUS) fell 0.33% and it looked set to log a second straight week of losses. China is the first G20 economy to report a year-on-year decline in consumer prices since Japan's last negative headline CPI reading in August 2021. Investors have also been unwilling to place major bets this week ahead of a U.S. inflation report due later on Thursday.

Persons: Kim Kyung, Hong, HSI, Rodrigo Catril, Joe Biden, Brent, Ankur Banerjee, Edwina Gibbs Organizations: Yen, REUTERS, Hoon, Federal, Japan's Nikkei, National Australia Bank, Wednesday, Saxo Markets, U.S, CPI, Reuters, Treasury, Thomson Locations: Tokyo, Japan, Hoon SINGAPORE, U.S, Asia, Pacific, Shanghai, China, Beijing, Saudi, Russian

☆ Dollar eases as China deflation lures investors into risk assets
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-09 | by ( Amanda Cooper | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

LONDON, Aug 9 (Reuters) - The dollar eased on Wednesday after data showed the Chinese economy slipped into deflation last month, which upped the chances for the government to roll out extra stimulus measures and nudged investors into risk assets. Dollar selling by state-owned Chinese banks helped the yuan rally from a one-month low, dealers said. The Chinese central bank's stronger-than-expected exchange-rate fixing at 7.1588 per dollar before the open signalled its discomfort with the yuan's recent declines. The dollar index - which measures the performance of the U.S. currency against six others - eased 0.1%, paring some of Tuesday's 0.47% rise. "Chinese inflation data showed that consumer prices have barely moved in July, confirming that the world’s second-largest economy is stalling and may be moving into deflation," he said.

Persons: There's, Ray Attrill, Ricardo Evangelista, Chris Scicluna, Patrick Harker, Raphael Bostic, Michelle Bowman, Kevin Buckland, Brigid Riley, Simon Cameron, Moore, Kirsten Donovan Organizations: National Australia Bank, Federal Reserve, Daiwa Capital, ECB, Bank of England, Philadelphia Fed, Atlanta Fed, Fed, Thomson Locations: China, Tokyo

☆ Dollar firm on safe-haven demand as markets fret over China, banks
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-09 | by ( Kevin Buckland | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

The employee of a currency exchange shop counts U.S. dollar banknotes in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico July 27, 2023. The Chinese yuan, however, got some respite after the central bank set a stronger official rate than expected, signalling its discomfort with recent declines. Worries about the global economy flared again after data on Tuesday showed Chinese imports and exports contracting faster than expected in July. U.S. Treasuries also saw a surge in demand from haven-seeking investors, with 10-year yields briefly dipping back below 4%. Reporting by Kevin Buckland; Additional reporting by Brigid Riley; Editing by Sonali PaulOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Jose Luis Gonzalez TOKYO, Treasuries, Ray Attrill, there's, Attrill, Patrick Harker, Raphael Bostic, Michelle Bowman, Bart Wakabayashi, Kevin Buckland, Brigid Riley, Sonali Paul Organizations: REUTERS, New Zealand, U.S, Bank of New York Mellon, US Bancorp, National Australia Bank, People's Bank of, Federal Reserve, Philadelphia Fed, Atlanta Fed, Fed, State Street Bank, Trust, Thomson Locations: Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, Asia, Rome, China, People's Bank of China, Tokyo

Banks now must sacrifice profit to keep customers who are struggling to make repayments on time. Cash profit for the year ended June 30 rose 6% to A$10.16 billion, slightly ahead of analyst forecasts, but CBA put aside $A1.47 billion more in provisions due to "ongoing cost of living pressures and rising interest rates". CBA stopped offering cash payments for mortgage refinancings to lure new borrowers in June, which CEO Matt Comyn said had "weighed on our market share". CBA's mortgage book grew in line with the total market in 2023. The number of borrowers struggling to repay loans, while rising, remained below pre-pandemic levels "but these figures will rise", Comyn said.

Persons: Banks, Matt Comyn, Comyn, Australia's, Byron Kaye, Sameer Manekar, Anil D'Silva, Stephen Coates, Jamie Freed Organizations: CBA, SYDNEY, Commonwealth Bank of Australia, Citi, National Australia Bank, Westpac, ANZ Group, Thomson Locations: COVID, Sydney, Bengaluru

"The big thing we're watching for is any sign that rates of bad and doubtful debt are rising," Macquarie analysts said. Analysts at Citi expect cash profit to rise 3.5% to A$9.93 billion, while a Visible Alpha consensus estimate stands at A$10.11 billion. "Most banks may maintain buy-backs and lift dividends as they are still healthy on capital ratios." The heavyweight banking index, the S&P/ASX 200 Financials (.AXFJ), has gained 0.4% so far this year, as of last close. ($1 = 1.5230 Australian dollars)Reporting by Upasana Singh and Rishav Chatterjee in Bengaluru; Editing by Anil D'SilvaOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: David Gray, Banks, Macquarie, Morgan Stanley, Tina Teng, Upasana Singh, Rishav Chatterjee, Anil D'Silva Organizations: REUTERS, Commonwealth Bank of Australia, National Australia Bank, Westpac, ANZ Group, Reserve Bank of Australia, Macquarie, CBA, Citi, NAB, ANZ, WBC, Thomson Locations: Melbourne, Southbank, Australia, Bengaluru

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