TOKYO, Feb 17 ― The dollar advanced today, hitting a four-month high against the yen as US bond yields jumped on the prospects of further economic recovery and a possible acceleration in inflation.
Bitcoin held firm, a day after the cryptocurrency hit US$50,000 (RM202,325) for the first time, bringing its total market capitalisation to more than US$900 billion, as traders bet on its further acceptance among major companies.
The dollar's index against six other major currencies jumped back to 90.681, from a three-week low of 90.117 hit yesterday.
Boosting the dollar was soaring US bond yields, with the 10-year yield rising to 1.331 per cent from around 1.20 per cent at the end of last week.
“The move up in yields has been driven by increasing inflationary concerns amid a rise in energy prices along with the prospect of a big US fiscal stimulus and the global recovery entering a more solid stage as vaccine roll out lead to the reopening of economies,” said Rodrigo Catril, senior FX strategist at National Australia Bank in Sydney.
The yen, which is sensitive to US yields, reacted the most with the dollar jumping to a four-month high of ¥106.225. It last stood at ¥106.13.
“I think the dollar's downtrend is over. At the start of the year, speculators were betting on a fall in the dollar below ¥100. They seem to have abandoned such a view now,” said Yukio Ishizuki, senior strategist at Daiwa Securities.
The euro slipped slightly to US$1.2085 though its fall was less pronounced due to its gains earlier on Tuesday following strong German economic sentiment data.
The New York Federal Reserve's Empire State manufacturing report released yesterday offered an upbeat economic picture, with a rise in its “prices paid index” stoking fear of faster inflation.
That optimism was echoed by St. Louis Fed President James Bullard, who told CNBC that US financial conditions were “generally good,” and that inflation was likely to heat up this year.
San Francisco Fed President Mary Daly, however, said pressures on inflation are still downward, pushing against critics warning low interest rates and government spending could overheat the US economy and spark high inflation.
“Her comments are not resonating with market players preoccupied with inflation at this point,” said Daiwa's Ishizuki.
The positive mood on the economic outlook is underpinning risk-sensitive currencies.
The British pound held firm at US$1.3863, having reached its highest level since April 2018 yesterday. Against the euro, the pound traded at its highest level since early May at 87.07 pence per euro.
The Australian dollar stood at US$0.7734, down slightly but still not far from yesterday's one-month high of US$0.7805.
The offshore Chinese yuan also stepped back after hitting a 2-1/2-year high of 6.4010 per dollar and last stood at 6.4269. ― Reuters
