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☆ Yen eyes first monthly gain since March; dollar headed for monthly loss
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-31 | by ( Rae Wee | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

The yen was about 0.3% lower at 141.57 per dollar, but was headed to end July with a roughly 2% gain, its first monthly rise since March. The dollar eventually ended the Friday session with a 1.2% gain against the Japanese currency, though that was after it had slid 1% to a session-low of 138.05 yen. DOLLAR EYES MONTHLY LOSSThe U.S. dollar was headed for a monthly loss on the prospect that the Federal Reserve's aggressive rate-hike cycle - a key driver of the dollar's strength - could have concluded with last week's 25-basis-point increase. The dollar index was last 0.11% higher at 101.72, but was eyeing a monthly decline of more than 1%, extending its loss to a second month. The euro rose 0.02% to $1.1017 and was eyeing a monthly gain of about 1%, though last week's European Central Bank policy meeting similarly raised the possibility of a rate pause in September.

Persons: they've, Chris Weston, Carol Kong, Sterling, Rae Wee, Himani Sarkar Organizations: Bank of Japan, U.S, Federal, Market, Commonwealth Bank of Australia, Central Bank, Bank of, Thomson Locations: SINGAPORE, Asia, U.S

Deutsche Bank's emerging market carry strategy index had its best year on record in the 12 months to May. Reuters GraphicsOVERCROWDING FEARSInvestors, however, are becoming concerned the carry trade might be becoming too popular for its own good. "You have to be worried about some of these more crowded positions," said Stephen Gallo, European head of FX strategy at BMO Capital Markets. "I think that is big enough to offset any carry trade income," said Yujiro Goto, head of FX strategy for Japan at Nomura. A hypothetical $50,000 invested in a short Norwegian crown, long dollar carry trade in the first three weeks of July would have lost $3,000, according to Refinitiv.

Persons: Refinitiv, Kamakshya Trivedi, Goldman Sachs, Stephen Gallo, Gallo, James Athey, Yujiro Goto, Oliver Brennan, Brennan, Robin Winkler, Goldman's Trivedi, Geoff Yu, BNY Mellon, Harry Robertson, Alun John, Ankur, Rae Wee, Bernadette Baum Organizations: LONDON, Bank of America, FX, Deutsche, Federal Reserve, European Central Bank and Bank of Japan, BMO Capital Markets, Nomura, BNP Paribas, Bank of England, Bank of Japan, Reuters Graphics, Federal, Deutsche Bank, Swiss, Reuters, Korean, BNY, Thomson Locations: SINGAPORE, Japan, European, U.S, America, Asia, London, Singapore

The yuan firmed by more than 0.5% in both the onshore and offshore markets as investors cheered comments at the closely watched Politburo meeting, though many were still seeking specific details on greater stimulus measures. The yuan traded offshore was last at 7.1444 per dollar and in the onshore market it was at 7.1454 per dollar. Also propping up the yuan were China's major state-owned banks selling U.S. dollars to buy yuan in both onshore and offshore spot markets on Tuesday, sources told Reuters. The positive sentiment from China lifted the Australian dollar, often used as a liquid proxy for the yuan, which rose 0.4% to $0.6767. In Europe, the pound rose 0.22% to $1.2854, its first day of gains after seven straight sessions of losses, its longest such streak since March 2020.

Persons: Tommy Xie, Guillermo Felices, Ueda, Aninda Mitra, Rae Wee, Alun John, Shri Navaratnam, Lincoln, Christina Fincher Organizations: Reuters, European Central Bank, Federal Reserve, Bank of Japan, BNY Mellon Investment Management, Thomson Locations: SINGAPORE, LONDON, China, Europe, Asia, Singapore, London

☆ Euro staggers as traders wary of hawkish ECB; dollar gains
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-25 | by ( Rae Wee | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

SINGAPORE, July 25 (Reuters) - The euro hit a two-week low on Tuesday as a worsening downturn in euro zone business muddied the bloc's rate outlook against a still-hawkish European Central Bank (ECB), while the dollar rose ahead of this week's trio of major central bank meetings. The offshore yuan strengthened in early Asia trade, following comments from China's top leaders on Monday pledging to step up policy support for its flailing economy. Elsewhere, sterling fell 0.11% to $1.2811, while the U.S. dollar index steadied at 101.39. "We continue to expect a combination of monetary, fiscal, property and consumption support measures to be rolled out in the next few months." The Australian dollar , often used as a liquid proxy for the yuan, gained 0.18% to $0.67515, while the kiwi rose 0.06% to $0.6209.

Persons: Rodrigo Catril, Guillermo Felices, Goldman Sachs, Rae Wee, Shri Navaratnam Organizations: Central Bank, ECB, National Australia Bank, NAB, U.S, PMI, Federal Reserve, Reuters, Bank of Japan, Australian, Thomson Locations: SINGAPORE, Asia, Germany

☆ Asia's private credit markets thrive as desperate borrowers find lenders
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-20 | by ( Rae Wee | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Private lenders, meanwhile, had "significant liquidity" to deploy for such financings, proving to be a right fit. Besides property developers, borrowers thronging private markets include privately-held companies and start-ups whose private equity issuance has been stymied by broader stock market swings and the deepening discounts of their valuations, known as a 'down round' in the industry. Investment firm Muzinich & Co. recently announced it had closed a $500 million Asia Pacific private debt strategy. Australian superannuation fund UniSuper, which runs a $15 billion private markets portfolio investing in unlisted infrastructure and private equity, is looking to grow its portfolio. "Just given the pipeline of opportunities, we could see ourselves potentially ... (doing) another $3 to $5 billion," said Sandra Lee, UniSuper's head of private markets.

Persons: Bryan Clark, Andrew Tan, Tan, Sandra Lee, UniSuper's, Shane Forster, Benno Klingenberg, Timm, Rae Wee, Georgina Lee, Vidya Ranganathan, Kim Coghill Organizations: Star, JLL, Western, Muzinich, Asia Pacific, Muzinich's Asia Pacific, ICE, Bain Capital, India's, Mahindra Bank, Hong Kong's ADM, BlackRock, Data, Barclays, UBS, Thomson Locations: SINGAPORE, Arizona, Asia, Hong Kong, Singapore

☆ Aussie surges after strong jobs data; China's yuan jumps
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-20 | by ( Rae Wee | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

"Ultimately, it's another strong set of employment figures which keeps the pressure on a data-dependant (Reserve Bank of Australia) to potentially hike rates in August." The offshore yuan last bought 7.1901 per dollar, while the onshore yuan strengthened past 7.18 per dollar to a session-high of 7.1620. RATES OUTLOOKIn the broader currency market, sterling was nursing deep losses after a sharp fall in the previous session following Britain's inflation data, which undershot market expectations. "The market I think is a bit more reasonable now with its expectations for rate hikes by the BoE. "We thought (the fall) was too strong, so it looks like the dollar has regained some of those losses," said CBA's Capurso.

Persons: David Gray, Matt Simpson, it's, Ken Cheung, BoE, Joseph Capurso, Yannis Stournaras, CBA's Capurso, Rae Wee, Sam Holmes, Jamie Freed Organizations: REUTERS, Australian, New Zealand, Bank of Australia, prudential, U.S ., People's Bank of, Mizuho Bank, Bank of England, Traders, Commonwealth Bank of Australia, Central Bank, U.S, Thomson Locations: Sydney, Australia, SINGAPORE, China, Asia

[1/3] Pound notes and change are seen inside a cash resgister in a coffee shop in Manchester, Britain, Septem,ber 21, 2018. REUTERS/Phil Noble/LONDON/SINGAPORE, July 19 (Reuters) - Sterling slid on Wednesday after lower-than-expected British inflation data suggested the Bank of England might not have to raise rates quite as high as expected, while the latest dovish comments from the Bank of Japan caused the yen to soften. ,That was the British currency's lowest in a week against the dollar, as it continued to roll off a 15-month high of $1.3144 hit Thursday. Bank of Japan Governor Kazuo Ueda said on Tuesday there was still some distance to sustainably achieving the central bank's 2% inflation target, signalling his resolve to maintain ultra-loose monetary policy for the time being, in contrast to the hawkishness at other major central banks. Economists polled by Reuters expect the Fed to deliver a 25-basis-point rate hike at its upcoming policy meeting this month, with a majority betting that will bring an end to the central bank's current monetary tightening cycle.

Persons: ber, Phil Noble, Sterling, “, Kenneth Broux, Kazuo Ueda, Alun John, Rae Wee, Shri Navaratnam, Sam Holmes, Sharon Singleton Organizations: REUTERS, LONDON, Bank of England, Bank of Japan, Societe Generale, New Zealand, Federal, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Manchester, Britain, SINGAPORE, British, Asia Pacific, London, Singapore

☆ Dollar tentative, kiwi jumps as NZ inflation data tempers rate doves
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-19 | by ( Rae Wee | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

[1/2] A New Zealand Dollar note is seen in this picture illustration June 2, 2017. Against a basket of currencies, the U.S. dollar rebounded from a 15-month low hit in the previous session, with its index steadying at 99.943 in early Asia trade. Sterling <GBP=D3> bought $1.3035, ahead of UK inflation data due later on Wednesday. "The stickiness of UK inflation measures has contrasted notably with price measures in both the euro zone and the U.S. which have been moving lower," said Rabobank's head of FX strategy Jane Foley. "While inflation is 'lower', it is not 'low' by any stretch of the imagination.

Persons: Thomas White, Tina Teng, Klaas, Jane Foley, Satish Ranchhod, Kazuo Ueda, Rae Wee, Shri Navaratnam Organizations: REUTERS, New Zealand, U.S ., U.S, CMC Markets, Reuters, Federal Reserve, European Central Bank, ECB, Sterling, Bank of, Reserve Bank of New, Westpac, Australian, Bank of Japan, Thomson Locations: SINGAPORE, Asia, U.S, Bank of England, New Zealand, Reserve Bank of New Zealand

☆ Dollar teeters near one-year low; euro scales 17-month peak
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-18 | by ( Rae Wee | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

FILE PHOTO: U.S. dollars are counted out by a banker counting currency at a bank in Westminster, Colorado November 3, 2009. “I think the dollar can stay under selling pressure,” said Carol Kong, a currency strategist at Commonwealth Bank of Australia. Money markets have largely priced in a 25-basis-point rate hike from the Fed at its policy meeting later this month, though see rates coming down as early as December. Conversely, investors expect the European Central Bank and the Bank of England to have further to go in their rate-hike cycle. Elsewhere, the Japanese yen rose marginally to 138.66 per dollar and remains more than 4% clear of a seven-month low it hit last month.

Persons: Rick Wilking, ”, Carol Kong, Ryota Abe, China’s, Khoon Goh Organizations: greenback, REUTERS, U.S, Federal Reserve, Commonwealth Bank of Australia, “, Fed, European Central Bank, Bank of England, Bank of Japan, SMBC, Reserve Bank of Australia’s, New Zealand, ANZ Locations: SINGAPORE, Westminster , Colorado, Asia

Second-biggest token Ether had its best session since March and Ripple , which a U.S. judge ruled could be legally sold on public crypto exchanges, soared 73%. "The regulatory environment is changing," said Matthew Dibb, chief investment officer at crypto asset manager Astronaut Capital. He said further cases would probably shed more light on how courts will treat private crypto offerings. The world's biggest asset manager, BlackRock (BLK.N), filed to launch a bitcoin exchange traded fund last month and earlier in July exchange operator Cboe (CBOE.Z) refreshed its filing for a similar fund to be run by asset manager Fidelity. "For the first time in a while, it's been consistently positive news coming though and that means you've got momentum."

Persons: Bitcoin, Matthew Dibb, Justin d'Anethan, Greg Moritz, FTX, Sam Bankman, Alex Mashinsky, We'd, Chris Weston, it's, Vidya Ranganathan, Simon Cameron, Moore Organizations: Capital, BlackRock, Fidelity, Investors, Solana, Commodity Futures, Commission, Tab, Traders, U.S, SEC, Thomson Locations: SINGAPORE, U.S, Asia, Keyrock, Hong Kong, reining, China, noncomplicance, Melbourne, Singapore

A U.S. judge said on Thursday that Ripple Labs Inc did not violate securities law by selling its XRP token on public exchanges. Although the decision was specific to the individual case, it unleashed a wave of optimism among crypto investors that more cryptocurrencies may also not be deemed securities. Still, the enthusiasm for some was tempered by a report from the Wall Street Journal that Binance, the world's largest cryptocurrency exchange, has laid off more than 1,000 people in recent weeks. "The regulatory environment is changing," said Matthew Dibb, chief investment officer at crypto asset manager Astronaut Capital. Still, crypto investors have taken encouragement from the world's biggest asset manager, BlackRock (BLK.N), filing to launch a bitcoin exchange traded fund last month.

Persons: XRP, Coinbase, Bitcoin, Matthew Dibb, Justin d'Anethan, Binance.US, bode, Sam Bankman, Alex Mashinsky, Patrick Hillmann, Hillmann, We'd, Chris Weston, it's, Vidya Ranganathan, Simon Cameron, Moore, Alex Richardson, Josie Kao Organizations: Labs, U.S . Securities, Exchange Commission, Wall Street, Capital, SEC, U.S, Wall, Twitter, BlackRock, Fidelity, Thomson Locations: SINGAPORE, WASHINGTON, U.S, California , New Jersey, South Carolina, Wisconsin, Asia, Keyrock, Hong Kong, XRP, reining, China, Binance, Melbourne, Singapore

Only 13 senators backed 42-year-old Pita, with the rest voting against him or abstaining, which his party said indicated some were acting under duress. "There are forces from the old power to pressure the Senate - from the old power to some capitalists who do not want to see a Move Forward government," party secretary general Chaithawat Tulathon said in a television interview. "Since the senators were uncomfortable in electing the PM, why not switch off this power?" he said, adding the party would attempt to limit the Senate's powers by amending an article of the constitution, which could take a month. He can run again if nominated in the next vote, which takes place on July 19, the house speaker confirmed.

Persons: Pita Limjaroenrat, Chaithawat Tulathon, Pita, Vijay Vikram Kannan, Juarawee, Rae Wee, Tom Westbrook, Martin Petty Organizations: Senate, Harvard, Constitutional Court, Senators, Societe Generale, Thomson Locations: BANGKOK, Pita, Thailand, Asia, Singapore, Bangkok

☆ Dollar slumps ahead of US inflation data, sterling rises
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-12 | by ( Rae Wee | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

"The (RBNZ) statement and minutes retained their dovish undertone overall, but they can't not warn that inflation is still 'too high' as they need to contain inflation expectations," said Matt Simpson, senior market analyst at City Index. The broader market focus remained on U.S. inflation data due later on Wednesday, with expectations for core consumer prices to have risen 5% on an annual basis in June. "We're already seeing markets move in anticipation of a softer U.S. inflation report," said City Index's Simpson. U.S. Treasury yields came under pressure on Wednesday, with the two-year yield and benchmark 10-year yield settling below 5% and 4%, respectively. "Speculation of a possible tweak could allow the (yen) some support ahead of the BOJ meeting this month."

Persons: BoE, Matt Simpson, we've, Index's Simpson, Sterling, YCC, Jane Foley, Rae Wee, Jamie Freed, Edmund Klamann Organizations: Bank of England, New Zealand, Reserve Bank of New Zealand, U.S ., Fed, BoE . U.S, Treasury, Bank of Japan, Rabobank, Thomson Locations: SINGAPORE, U.S, Asia, BoE .

[1/2] U.S. dollars are counted out by a banker counting currency at a bank in Westminster, Colorado November 3, 2009. Markets are now focusing their attention on U.S. consumer prices data due out on Wednesday, which will provide more clarity on the progress the Fed has made in its fight against stubbornly high inflation. The pound has been rallying on a stronger economy and aggressive repricing of expectations for tighter BoE policy, according to Danske Bank FX analyst Kirstine Kundby-Nielsen. "There have been no signs of relief in the labour market data and markets continue to price in more. Given the rising inflation backdrop in Japan, the market is starting to become more wary that perhaps a policy tweak could come."

Persons: Rick Wilking, Shaun Osborne, Kirstine Kundby, That's, Kundby, Nielsen, Moh Siong Sim, Samuel Indyk, Rae Wee, Edmund Klamann, Alex Richardson, Chizu Organizations: REUTERS, Federal, Scotiabank . Markets, Sterling, Bank of England, Danske Bank, Nielsen, Swiss, greenback, Swiss National Bank, Singapore, Bank of Japan, New Zealand, Reserve Bank of New, Thomson Locations: Westminster , Colorado, U.S, Norwegian, Swedish, Swiss, Japan, Reserve Bank of New Zealand

U.S. interest rate expectations have been a key driver of the dollar since the Fed began its tightening cycle last year. A survey from the New York Federal Reserve on Monday showed waning near-term inflation expectations among Americans, who said last month they were expecting the weakest near-term inflation gains in just over two years. Sterling , meanwhile, hit a near 15-month high of $1.2913 after British wage growth hit a joint record high, heaping pressure on the Bank of England to tighten policy further to bring inflation under control. The pound has been rallying on a stronger economy and aggressive repricing of expectations for tighter BoE policy, according to Danske Bank FX analyst Kirstine Kundby-Nielsen. Elsewhere, the euro rose 0.1% to $1.1012, the Australian dollar steadied at $0.6680, while the New Zealand dollar fell 0.2% to $0.6198.

Persons: Rick Wilking, Shaun Osborne, Sterling, Kirstine Kundby, That's, Kundby, Nielsen, Moh Siong Sim, Samuel Indyk, Rae Wee, Shri Navaratnam, Edmund Klamann, Alex Richardson Organizations: REUTERS, Federal, Fed, Scotiabank . Markets, New York Federal Reserve, Bank of England, Danske Bank, Nielsen, Singapore, Bank of Japan, New Zealand, Thomson Locations: Westminster , Colorado, U.S, . U.S, Japan, China's

☆ Dollar slips as Fed hike cycle nears end; focus on US inflation
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-11 | by ( Rae Wee | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Several Fed officials said on Monday the central bank will likely need to raise interest rates further to bring down still-high inflation, but that the end to its current monetary policy tightening cycle is getting close. U.S. interest rate expectations have been a key driver of the dollar since the Fed began its tightening cycle last year. A survey from the New York Federal Reserve showed on Monday waning near-term inflation expectations among Americans, who said last month they were expecting the weakest near-term inflation gains in just over two years. The dollar/yen pair is particularly sensitive to U.S. yields as interest rates in Japan are anchored near zero. Elsewhere, the Australian dollar gained 0.16% to $0.6687, while the New Zealand dollar added 0.06% to $0.6216.

Persons: Sterling, Carol Kong, Rae Wee, Shri Navaratnam Organizations: Federal, Fed, Commonwealth Bank of Australia, New York Federal, Treasury, Australian, New Zealand, Macquarie, Thomson Locations: SINGAPORE, U.S, Asia, . U.S, Japan, China

☆ US dollar drops to three-week low as Fed rate hikes nearly done
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-10 | by ( Gertrude Chavez-Dreyfuss | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

In afternoon trading, the dollar index , which tracks the U.S. currency against a basket of major peers, slid 0.3% to 101.98, a three-week low. With U.S. nonfarm payrolls out of the way, attention turns to U.S. inflation data due on Wednesday. The Norwegian crown firmed against the dollar and euro following Norway's inflation data. The Chinese yuan slumped against the dollar after weak inflation numbers in the world's second-largest economy. The weak Chinese data dragged down the Australian and New Zealand dollars, which are often used as liquid proxies for the Chinese yuan.

Persons: gainers, Mary Daly, nonfarm, Erik Nelson, Wells, Nelson, Gertrude Chavez, Dreyfuss, Alun John, Rae Wee, Jamie Freed, Ed Osmond, Emelia, Will Dunham, Sharon Singleton Organizations: Federal Reserve, San Francisco Fed, U.S, CPI, New, New Zealand, Thomson Locations: U.S, Wells Fargo, London, Europe, China, Norwegian, New Zealand, Singapore

☆ Dollar softens, China's yuan draws support from stimulus hopes
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-10 | by ( Rae Wee | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

The U.S. economy added 209,000 jobs last month, data on Friday showed, missing market expectations for the first time in 15 months. That caused U.S. Treasury yields to slump and sent the dollar down nearly 1% against a basket of currencies on Friday while the yen and sterling surged. The dollar/yen pair is particularly sensitive to U.S. yields as interest rates in Japan are anchored near zero. The market reaction to the data was largely muted, as it fuelled hopes that Chinese authorities would soon unveil further stimulus measures for the economy. The offshore yuan last traded at 7.2290 per dollar, while the Aussie fell 0.14% to $0.6683.

Persons: Chris Weston, We've, we've, it's, Weston, Christopher Wong, Rae Wee, Sam Holmes, Simon Cameron, Moore Organizations: Treasury, Bank of England, U.S, Australian, New Zealand, Thomson Locations: SINGAPORE, U.S, Asia, Japan, China

A jump in the number of people working part-time for economic reasons also suggested a weaker labor market, but the pace of job growth remains strong and with inflation still double the Fed's target rate, a rate hike this month is likely. "The Fed is being hawkish and that prevents the dollar from depreciating too much. After the jobs data, futures pointed to an 88.8% probability that the Fed hikes in three weeks. Adding a tailwind to the rally in the yen was some position-squaring among speculators, who have built up sizeable bearish positions, Hardman said. The Australian dollar rose 0.8% to $0.6681, but it is still battered by weak Chinese economic data and broad risk aversion.

Persons: Joe Manimbo, We're, Thierry Wizman, They've, Lee Hardman, Hardman, YEN, Herbert Lash, Amanda Cooper, Rae Wee, Sam Holmes, Mark Potter, Barbara Lewis, Marguerita Choy Organizations: Federal Reserves, Labor Department, Treasury, ECB, Strong U.S, Bank of Japan, Thomson Locations: U.S, Japan, New York, London, Singapore

☆ Dollar steadies as US economy stays resilient; eyes on nonfarm payrolls
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-07 | by ( Rae Wee | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

The closely watched nonfarm payrolls report is due later on Friday, where expectations are for the U.S. economy to have added 225,000 jobs in June. The dollar index rose 0.03% to 103.12, while yields on U.S. Treasuries hovered near their recent peaks. The two-year Treasury yield , which typically reflects near-term interest rate expectations, steadied above 5%, after surging to a 16-year high of 5.12% on Thursday. That kept a closely watched two-to-10-year part of the U.S. Treasury yield curve , seen as an indicator of economic expectations, deeply inverted at a negative 96.90 bps. Elsewhere, the yen last bought 144.06 per dollar and was on track for a slight weekly gain, reversing three straight weeks of losses.

Persons: payrolls, Sterling, Carol Kong, tonight's, Rae Wee, Sam Holmes Organizations: Treasury, Fed, New Zealand, Bank of England, Commonwealth Bank of Australia, U.S, Thomson Locations: SINGAPORE, U.S, Asia, Treasuries

☆ Dollar eases after strong labor market reports
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-06 | by ( Herbert Lash | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

NEW YORK, July 6 (Reuters) - The dollar eased after a brief rebound on Thursday as data showing the U.S. labor market remains strong increased chances the Federal Reserve will raise interest rates later this month. "Take it together with how equity markets have responded, that gives a clear picture of the dollar today. The dollar index , measuring the U.S. currency against six others including the euro and Japan's yen, fell 0.18% to 103.13. "The FX market is taking more of a 'one-dimensional approach' to trading the British disease," said Stephen Gallo, global FX strategist at BMO Capital Markets. The Chinese yuan last traded down slightly at 7.2575 per dollar in the offshore market , a day after falling about 0.4%.

Persons: payrolls, Brian Daingerfield, Lorie Logan, Brad Bechtel, Stephen Gallo, Gallo, Bitcoin, Herbert Lash, Samuel Indyk, Rae Wee, David Holmes, Mark Potter, Richard Chang Organizations: YORK, Reserve, Labor Department, Institute for Supply Management, NatWest Markets, Fed, Dallas, FX, Jefferies, of England, BMO Capital Markets, Thomson Locations: U.S, Stamford , Connecticut, London, Singapore

☆ Dollar firms on rate hike views after Fed minutes, yen treads water
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-06 | by ( Rae Wee | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

SINGAPORE, July 6 (Reuters) - The dollar was broadly higher on Thursday, after the release of minutes from the Federal Reserve's latest policy meeting cemented market expectations for a rate hike this month. Against the dollar, the euro touched a near one-week low of $1.0843 in early Asia trade, while sterling dipped 0.08% to $1.26925. Markets are now pricing in an 89% chance that the Fed will raise rates by 25 basis points at its policy meeting later this month, according to the CME FedWatch tool. Elsewhere, the yen rose more than 0.2% to 144.30 per dollar, as worries over potential intervention from Japanese authorities to shore up the yen capped its decline. The Chinese yuan last bought 7.2593 per dollar in the offshore market , after having fallen about 0.4% the previous session.

Persons: Alvin Tan, Sean Callow, it's, Rae Wee, Jacqueline Wong Organizations: Federal, Treasury, Asia FX, RBC Capital Markets, Fed, Westpac, Thomson Locations: SINGAPORE, Asia, China

☆ Yen weakens past 145 per dollar, yuan propped by stimulus hopes
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-30 | by ( Rae Wee | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

SINGAPORE, June 30 (Reuters) - The yen weakened past the closely watched 145 per dollar level on Friday, keeping traders wary of potential intervention by Japanese authorities, while the yuan crept higher as hopes for further stimulus from Beijing gathered steam. The onshore yuan fell to its lowest since November at 7.2615 per dollar shortly after trading opened on Friday, but was last marginally higher at 7.2505 per dollar. "PMIs released... reinforced the need for stimulus support. The Australian dollar , often used as a liquid proxy for the yuan, tracked the Chinese currency higher and rose 0.29% to $0.6635. Further clarity on the bloc's inflation outlook will come later on Friday, with June's flash inflation data due to be released.

Persons: Shunichi Suzuki, Saktiandi Supaat, PMIs, Christopher Wong, Carol Kong, Sterling, Elwin de Groot, Rae Wee, Sam Holmes Organizations: Bank of Japan's, Japan's Finance, Tokyo perked, New Zealand, U.S, U.S . Federal Reserve, Commerce Department, Commonwealth Bank of Australia, Bank of England, Central Bank, Rabobank, Thomson Locations: SINGAPORE, Beijing, Asia, Tokyo, U.S

☆ Yen weakens past key 145 per dollar level; yuan falls after China PMI data
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-30 | by ( Rae Wee | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

SINGAPORE, June 30 (Reuters) - The yen weakened past 145 per dollar on Friday, a level which kept speculators wary of potential intervention from Japanese authorities, while a faltering economic recovery in China also kept pressure on the yuan. Its renewed decline has stoked speculation that intervention by Japanese authorities could be imminent, particularly as the level of 145 per dollar first prompted them to shore up the yen in September. The onshore yuan fell to its lowest since November at 7.2615 per dollar shortly after trading opened on Friday. The Australian dollar , often used as a liquid proxy for the yuan, slipped 0.12% to $0.6608. The dollar index steadied at around 103.33 and was heading for a gain of about 0.7% in the second quarter.

Persons: Saktiandi Supaat, Maybank's Supaat, Carol Kong, Sterling, Elwin de Groot, Rae Wee Organizations: Bank of Japan's, People's Bank of China, New Zealand, U.S, U.S . Federal Reserve, Commerce Department, Commonwealth Bank of Australia, Bank of England, Central Bank, Rabobank, Thomson Locations: SINGAPORE, China, Asia, Tokyo, U.S

☆ China starts to slow yuan's one-way slide
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-27 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Analysts said that together the moves showed official unease at the yuan's downward momentum and that they could slow but perhaps not halt a decline, given the dour economic outlook. "They are sending more signals now they're uncomfortable ... they would like to slow the yuan weakness," said Moh Siong Sim, a currency strategist at Bank of Singapore. The yuan ended Monday at a seven-month low of 7.2425 per dollar and was at 7.2105 in Tuesday afternoon trade. BACK FOOTThe push back comes as investors sour on China, with data showing China's vaunted rebound faltering. Analysts said moves to halt the yuan's slide were not yet as firm as last year, when regulators rolled out measures to encourage capital inflows, but might be enough to slow selling.

Persons: Yuan, Siong Sim, Stocks, Alvin Tan, We've, Rob Carnell, Carnell, That's, Ankur Banerjee, Tom Westbrook, Rae Wee, Vidya Ranganathan, Kim Coghill, Jacqueline Wong Organizations: People's Bank of China, Analysts, Bank of Singapore, UBS, Australian, Asia FX, RBC Capital Markets, Beijing, Thomson Locations: SHANGHAI, BEIJING, China, Hong Kong, Asia, Shanghai, Singapore

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