Tag Archive: Brazil

SNB Slashes Policy Rate in Half

2024-12-12

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2024-12-12

Overview:  The US dollar is mostly softer today, but the tone is mostly one of consolidation. The Swiss National Bank surprised with a 50 bp cut and the franc is the only G10 currency that has not edged up against the greenback today. Australia reported a stronger than expected employment report. This boosted Australian yields and the Aussie, which is the strongest of the G10 currencies. Shortly, the ECB is expected to announce a quarter-point rate...

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US Dollar Soars and US Rates Jump

2024-11-06

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2024-11-06

Overview: Shortly after the North American markets closed, before any results were known, the market jumped back into the "Trump trade," which it had pared on Tuesday. The dollar and US interest rates soared. The euro is the hardest hit among the G10 currencies today, off about 1.6% and the Canadian dollar, the best performer … Continue...

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Nervous Calm Hangs over the Markets

2024-11-05

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2024-11-05

Overview: A nervous calm hangs over the markets as the US goes to the polls. The proximity of the presidential contest warns that the results may not been known as soon as people hope. Indeed, many fear the voting simply begins the next phase of the contest, with premature declarations of victory and disputes over votes. The dollar is in mostly narrow ranges today, but the Antipodeans and Scandis are the strongest, and the Reserve Bank of Australia...

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US Job Report may Offer Little Relief ahead of Next Week’s US Election and Meetings by Half of the G10 Central Banks

2024-11-01

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2024-11-01

Overview: The first of what promises to be two tumultuous weeks is winding down. The US jobs data is the last big event. It is widely recognized that it will be skewed to the downside because of hurricanes and some mostly temporary factors. Anticipating the market’s reaction is also complicated by the weekend, and reports that Iran may strike back at Israel (through bases in Iraq?), and next Tuesday's US election, and five G10 central bank meetings...

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Run on the Dollar Stalls after the Market Boosted Odds of another 50 bp Fed Cut

2024-09-25

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2024-09-25

Overview: Weak US consumer confidence, especially regarding the labor market boosted speculation of another half-point Fed cut in November when the central bank meets again. This weighed on the dollar. Sterling and the Australian dollar rose to new 2 1/2-year highs. The PBOC followed up yesterday's package with a 30 bp cut in the one-year Medium-Term Lending rate. After extending its losses earlier today, the dollar has steadied and turned higher...

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Atlanta Fed GDP Tracker Says US Economy is Expanding at 3% Clip for 3rd Quarter in Past 4, and the Fed is Going to Do What?

2024-09-18

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2024-09-18

The dollar remains offered ahead of the FOMC meeting outcome. That no official has pushed back against the press story that some suspect was planted by the Fed Chair (will a reporter specifically ask him about it today?) during a quiet period should not be taken as evidence one way or the other. And many understand that it is not unprecedented.

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Risk of 50 bp cut by the Fed Tomorrow Keeps the Greenback on the Defensive

2024-09-17

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2024-09-17

With heightened expectations of a 50 bp cut by the Federal Reserve tomorrow, the dollar has not gotten a reprieve and is softer against nearly all the currencies. Japan's long holiday weekend ended, and the greenback has held above JPY140 today.

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The Dollar is Bid but Ueda Lends Support to the Yen

2024-09-03

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2024-09-03

The dollar is bid as the upside correction that began last week continues today. The greenback is trading above last week's highs against most of the G10 currencies. The yen is the notable exception.

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Are Risk Appetites Recovering?

2024-08-13

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2024-08-13

Overview: The Antipodeans and sterling lead the G10 currencies today. The New Zealand dollar is the strongest, though the central bank is likely to deliver its first rate cut tomorrow. The Australian dollar rose to a three-week near $0.6610. Sterling was lifted by a stronger than expected employment report (though wage growth slowed) ahead of tomorrow's CPI. The yen and Swiss franc nursing modest losses. Emerging market currencies are mostly...

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Yen Slumps, Germany Contracts, and the Week’s Key Events Still Lie Ahead

2024-07-30

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2024-07-30

Overview: An unexpected decline in Japan's unemployment did not prevent a retreat in the yen to a four-day low ahead of tomorrow's data and conclusion of the BOJ meeting. The dollar has probed the JPY155 area where nearly $3.5 bln options expire today. An unexpected contraction Germany's Q2 GDP was offset in the aggregate by better French, and especially Spanish figures, leaving the euro consolidating in a narrow range (~$1.0815-$1.0835). The...

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Dollar Consolidation is Morphing into Correction

2024-07-19

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2024-07-19

Jury duty assignment prevents a more comprehensive note, but here is a snapshot. Overview: The failure of computer systems has disrupted airlines, banks, media companies, and the London Stock Exchange, ostensibly stemming from an update from a third-party software update, according to Microsoft. The dollar is trading with a firmer bias. The consolidation, we anticipated, appears to be morphing into a correction. Weaker than expected retail sales...

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Quiet Summer Tuesday with Powell’s Testimony and a Deluge of US Supply on Tap

2024-07-09

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2024-07-09

Overview: In the absence of fresh developments, the dollar is consolidating in narrow ranges today against the G10 currencies and enjoys as slight upward bias against most emerging market currencies but for a few currencies from the Asia Pacific region. With practically an empty US data calendar, Fed Chair Powell's testimony with be the highlight, and a soft headline CPI on Thursday anticipated. The US two-year premium over Germany has fallen from...

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USD Pushes above JPY160

2024-06-26

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2024-06-26

Overview: The dollar is firm, and the market is challenging the JPY160 level, which it has traded above in Europe. Japanese officials say that they do not defend a specific level. The market is nervous though and some participants have professed intentions to sell dollars above there. The Australian dollar is the main exception to the greenback's strength today. A strong monthly inflation print boosts the chances of a rate hike. The Aussie, though,...

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Greenback Remains Firm, Still Driest Towel on the Rack

2024-06-11

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2024-06-11

Overview:  The US dollar is firm against all the G10 currencies, except for sterling, which is straddling unchanged levels after labor market report that showed an uptick earnings remain elevated, and the unemployment rate ticked up to a new high since September 2021. The dollar reached a new six-day high against the Japanese yen near JPY157.40. The Chinese yuan (onshore) fell to new lows since last November as the mainland markets re-opened from...

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Riksbank Cuts, Oil Slips, and the Yen Remains Under Pressure

2024-05-08

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2024-05-08

(On business trip over next few days. Commentary to resume Monday.  Thanks for your patience.) Overview: Sweden's Riksbank became the second G10 central bank to cut rates this year. The Swiss National Bank cut its deposit rate in March. A couple other large central banks, including the European Central Bank, and possibly the Bank of Canada, may cut rates next month. The Swedish krona is the weakest of the G10 currencies today, off by about 0.45%,...

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Yen Slips, Yuan Jumps, Dollar is Mostly Softer

2024-05-06

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2024-05-06

Overview: The dollar is mostly a little softer today in thin market conditions, with Tokyo, Seoul, and London closed for holidays. The Japanese yen is the weakest G10 currency, losing about 0.5% and slipping through last Friday's lows. At first, after Fed Chair Powell did not endorse rate hike speculation, the market thought he was dovish. But after the softer than expected jobs data and weakness in the ISM services, the market shifted from...

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Market Hears a Dovish Fed and Sells the Greenback

2024-03-21

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2024-03-21

Overview:  The Federal Reserve triggered a dollar sell-off yesterday and follow-through selling was seen in Asia before profit-taking emerged. That created a new dollar selling opportunity in early European turnover. The FOMC revised up this year's growth forecast, shaved the unemployment projection, and while maintaining the PCE deflator forecast, and the median dot remained for three cuts this year. The soft-landing scenario was underscored and...

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Dollar Extends Gains Against the Yen but Broadly Firmer Ahead of the FOMC

2024-03-20

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2024-03-20

Overview: The US dollar remains bid ahead of the outcome of today's FOMC meeting. No change in policy is expected, but the forward guidance, partly delivered in the updated projections, is the focus. In the last iteration (December), the Fed "dot" was for three rate cuts this year. Japanese markets were closed for a national holiday today but dollar's gains against the yen have been extended and the greenback is nearing the peak seen in...

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Ueda’s Comments Weigh on Yen as the Market Awaits US CPI

2024-03-12

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2024-03-12

Overview: The US CPI has become one of the most important high-frequency economic reports for the capital markets. The dollar is going into the report narrowly mixed against the G10 currencies. Comments by BOJ Governor Ueda about the weakness in consumption of non-durable goods was seen by some as reducing the likelihood of a change in policy next week.

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