Market wrap: dollar catches a bid on higher yeilds - Westpac


Analysts at Westpac explained that the US dollar bounced against major currencies in Friday NY trade, backed by higher yields.

Key Quotes:

"US data mostly leaned to the strong side, with Feb housing starts the one disappointment (-7% after +10% in Jan). Industrial production jumped 1.1%, including manufacturing +1.2%. March consumer sentiment (University of Michigan) easily beat consensus, reaching 102.0, a high since 2004. The Jan JOLTS survey of job openings was also strong, up to 6.31 million.

In a Reuters interview, ECB chief economist Peter Praet emphasised the slack in the Eurozone’s labour market as a dampening impact on inflation, as shown in the low Q4 labour costs. EUR/USD fell from 1.2335 to 1.2260, closing at 1.2290.

USD/JPY bounced off 105.60 to 106.20 before easing back to 105.90, still down over 24 hours. USD/CAD rose a modest 0.3% to 1.3090. Underperformer AUD extended a two-day decline from 0.7800 to 0.7710 – the lowest since Dec. NZD fell almost as far, from 0.7260 to 0.7208. AUD/NZD thus slipped under 1.0700.

The US 10yr treasury yield rose from 2.81% to 2.85%, while 2yr yields rose from 2.28% to 2.29% - the highest level since Sep 2008. Fed fund futures continued to price three more hikes by end-2018 (with a move this week effectively a done deal), and another hike in 2019.

Today's calendar is very light. The week's calendar highlights include Australia March labour force data and monetary policy decisions by the Fed, RBNZ and BoE."

Share: Feed news

Information on these pages contains forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. Markets and instruments profiled on this page are for informational purposes only and should not in any way come across as a recommendation to buy or sell in these assets. You should do your own thorough research before making any investment decisions. FXStreet does not in any way guarantee that this information is free from mistakes, errors, or material misstatements. It also does not guarantee that this information is of a timely nature. Investing in Open Markets involves a great deal of risk, including the loss of all or a portion of your investment, as well as emotional distress. All risks, losses and costs associated with investing, including total loss of principal, are your responsibility. The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of FXStreet nor its advertisers. The author will not be held responsible for information that is found at the end of links posted on this page.

If not otherwise explicitly mentioned in the body of the article, at the time of writing, the author has no position in any stock mentioned in this article and no business relationship with any company mentioned. The author has not received compensation for writing this article, other than from FXStreet.

FXStreet and the author do not provide personalized recommendations. The author makes no representations as to the accuracy, completeness, or suitability of this information. FXStreet and the author will not be liable for any errors, omissions or any losses, injuries or damages arising from this information and its display or use. Errors and omissions excepted.

The author and FXStreet are not registered investment advisors and nothing in this article is intended to be investment advice.

Recommended content


Recommended content

Editors’ Picks

EUR/USD clings to daily gains above 1.0650

EUR/USD clings to daily gains above 1.0650

EUR/USD gained traction and turned positive on the day above 1.0650. The improvement seen in risk mood following the earlier flight to safety weighs on the US Dollar ahead of the weekend and helps the pair push higher.

EUR/USD News

GBP/USD recovers toward 1.2450 after UK Retail Sales data

GBP/USD recovers toward 1.2450 after UK Retail Sales data

GBP/USD reversed its direction and advanced to the 1.2450 area after touching a fresh multi-month low below 1.2400 in the Asian session. The positive shift seen in risk mood on easing fears over a deepening Iran-Israel conflict supports the pair.

GBP/USD News

Gold holds steady at around $2,380 following earlier spike

Gold holds steady at around $2,380 following earlier spike

Gold stabilized near $2,380 after spiking above $2,400 with the immediate reaction to reports of Israel striking Iran. Meanwhile, the pullback seen in the US Treasury bond yields helps XAU/USD hold its ground.

Gold News

Bitcoin Weekly Forecast: BTC post-halving rally could be partially priced in Premium

Bitcoin Weekly Forecast: BTC post-halving rally could be partially priced in

Bitcoin price shows no signs of directional bias while it holds above  $60,000. The fourth BTC halving is partially priced in, according to Deutsche Bank’s research. 

Read more

Week ahead – US GDP and BoJ decision on top of next week’s agenda

Week ahead – US GDP and BoJ decision on top of next week’s agenda

US GDP, core PCE and PMIs the next tests for the Dollar. Investors await BoJ for guidance about next rate hike. EU and UK PMIs, as well as Australian CPIs also on tap.

Read more

Forex MAJORS

Cryptocurrencies

Signatures