Dollar sinks on stock losses, falling bond yields
FILE PHOTO: Japan Yen and U.S. Dollar notes are seen in this June 22, 2017 illustration photo. REUTERS/Thomas White/Illustration/File Photo
By Richard Leong
NEW YORK (Reuters) - The dollar fell to a near two-week low on Thursday against a basket of currencies as traders pared greenback holdings on lower U.S. Treasury yields and further equity losses on Wall Street.
A weaker-than-forecast rise in U.S. consumer prices in September reduced bets on a faster pace of interest rate increases by the Federal Reserve, further eroding the dollar's appeal.
"We are seeing investors taking some risks off the table," said Paresh Upadhyaya, director of currency strategy at Amundi Pioneer Investments in Boston. "The dollar didn't get any mileage from the CPI number."
Against the dollar, the euro climbed to a one-week peak as minutes of the European Central Bank's policy meeting last month suggested policy-makers have not abandoned their plan to end the ECB's 2.6 trillion-euro bond-purchase program this year.
The Swedish crown jumped following stronger-than-expected inflation and home price data, raising prospects for the Riksbank to increase interest rates in December, analysts said.
The Chinese yuan rose in offshore trading, rebounding from early weakness due to a global equity rout. Traders brushed off comments from U.S. President Donald Trump signaling he is not backing off on escalating his trade war with Beijing.
The U.S. Labor Department said on Thursday its consumer price index rose 0.1 percent in September, less than the 0.2 percent increase forecast among analysts polled by Reuters.
The CPI miss reduced bets that U.S. inflation is accelerating, spurring appetite for U.S. government bonds. This added to the safe-haven bid for Treasuries stemming from another sharp sell-off on Wall Street.
An index that tracks the dollar versus six currencies <.DXY> fell to 94.987, the lowest since Sept. 28. At 3:45 p.m. (1945 GMT), the dollar index was down 0.5 percent at 95.034.
The benchmark 10-year U.S. Treasury note yield
The Japanese yen
Forecasts from Fed officials released last month showed they expected three rate hikes in 2019, and some have said they are open to a rate increase in December, which would be the fourth this year.
Their counterparts at the ECB seemed on track, based on the latest minutes, to normalize their ultra-loose policy this year despite concerns about slowing growth in Europe.
The euro zone common currency
The Swedish crown was 1.69 percent higher at 8.9770 per dollar
Offshore yuan
(Additional reporting by Saikat Chatterjee in London; Editing by James Dalgleish and Nick Zieminski)
Serious News for Serious Traders! Try StreetInsider.com Premium Free!
You May Also Be Interested In
- EUR/USD looks like it is consolidating before breaking to a new low: ING
- Hipgnosis' bidding war intensifies as Concord hikes offer for Shakira music owner
- EUR/USD could stay on a holding pattern until key US data, analyst says
Create E-mail Alert Related Categories
Forex, ReutersRelated Entities
Donald J. Trump, European Central BankSign up for StreetInsider Free!
Receive full access to all new and archived articles, unlimited portfolio tracking, e-mail alerts, custom newswires and RSS feeds - and more!