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The US dollar index ― which measures the greenback against six major counterparts, including the yen ― slipped 0.06 per cent in early Asian trading, following a 0.39 per cent advance at the start of the week. ― Reuters pic
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Tuesday, 11 Apr 2023 11:42 AM MYT
TOKYO, April 11 ― The US dollar paused for breath today following its best rally this month against major peers as a resilient US labour market bolstered the case for a Federal Reserve rate hike next month.
The yen, which is highly sensitive to long-term US bond yields, managed to claw back some of yesterday’s more than 1 per cent slide, as the 10-year Treasury yield also slowed down in Tokyo trading after a sharp two-day climb. The Japanese currency came under additional pressure overnight as the new Bank of Japan governor, Kazuo Ueda, vowed to stick with ultra-easy stimulus setting for the time being.
Leading cryptocurrency bitcoin briefly touched US$30,000 (RM132,532) for the first time since June.
The US dollar index ― which measures the greenback against six major counterparts, including the yen ― slipped 0.06 per cent in early Asian trading, following a 0.39 per cent advance at the start of the week.
The dollar eased 0.16 per cent to ¥133.39, after jumping 1.1 per cent overnight.
Traders now see the Fed as 74 per cent likely to raise rates by another quarter point on May 3, after data released on Good Friday showed US employers continued to hire at a strong pace in March, pushing down the jobless rate. Last week, money markets priced a hike next month as a coin toss.
The consumer price index (CPI), due on Wednesday, will be the next major clue for Fed policy direction.
Ten-year Treasury yields reached 3.436 per cent overnight before settling around 3.41 per cent in Tokyo. They had dipped to a seven-month low of 3.253 per cent on Thursday. The dollar index dropped to a two-month low of 101.40 on Wednesday.
“Financial markets have been too pessimistic about the US economy since several small US banks collapsed in March,” Commonwealth Bank of Australia strategists Joseph Capurso and Kristina Clifton wrote in a client note, referring to the demise of SVB and Signature Bank.
“Strong underlying CPI is likely to be the catalyst for a change in market pricing for May, and delay pricing for the start of rate cuts,” they said, postulating the dollar index could lift toward the 100-day moving average at 103.91 this week.
The euro added 0.14 per cent to US$1.08745 following yesterday’s 0.34 per cent retreat. Sterling ticked up 0.11 per cent to US$1.2397 after a 0.23 per cent overnight decline.
The Aussie rose 0.12 per cent to US$0.6650, clawing back part of a 0.48 per cent slide in the previous session.
Bitcoin touched a fresh 10-month high at US$30,000 in early Tuesday trade before last fetching US$29,787, after breaking free of recent ranges yesterday.
The digital token had been stuck between about US$26,500 and US$29,400 for the previous three weeks.
“It seems many traders are convinced the dollar’s days are numbered as it will slowly lose some of that preferred reserve currency status, and that crypto will be one of the beneficiaries,” Edward Moya, an analyst at OANDA in New York, wrote in a note.
“Bitcoin’s ceiling remains the US$30,000 level and how it behaves once it trades north of it will determine if the next major bull phase is upon us.” ― Reuters
