LONDON, Sept 29 — Sterling and the euro fell today and the US dollar clawed back a recent dip as relief at the Bank of England’s intervention in bond markets faded.
Investors also awaited German inflation data.
The British currency jumped the most since mid-June yesterday after the BoE announced an emergency bond-buying plan to shore up a gilt market that had been in freefall with the pound.
But in the face of nagging doubts about Britain’s economic management and the outlook for global growth, sterling was 1 per cent lower at US$1.0776 (RM5.01) at 0751 GMT, and the euro weakened 1 per cent to US$0.9642, as the US dollar regained its footing.
Prime Minister Liz Truss defended her tax-cutting budget.
“There is only so much the BoE can do to support cable, since we think FX intervention and emergency rate hikes are not on the table. And we see no change in the strong dollar story over the next six to nine months,” said Chris Turner, Global Head of Markets at ING.
“Expect cable volatility to stay high... trying to hold sterling together until the 3 November BoE rate meeting or 23 November fiscal update will be a tough challenge for policymakers,” he added.
Sterling plummeted to a record low of US$1.0327 on Monday as investors delivered a scathing verdict on Britain’s plans for tax cuts funded by a massive increase in borrowing at the same time as the BoE is struggling to rein in inflation.
Appearances from BoE officials David Ramsden, Silvana Tenreyro and Huw Pill later today will be closely watched and as will an address by finance minister Kwasi Kwarteng to his Conservative Party on Monday.
“Sterling is not out of the woods,” said DBS currency strategist Philip Wee. “The BoE is seen addressing the symptom and not the cause.”
“The ... government has yet to address the credibility of the tax cut plans, which critics see adding to the inflation woes.”
The euro also weakened slightly after data showed Spain’s annual inflation slowed down to 9 per cent in September from 10.5 per cent. Investors will be closely watching German inflation figures due at 1200 GMT for indication on the European Central Bank’s rate hike path.
“Unless there is a complete (inflation data) surprise it is only going to affect the euro exchange rates marginally though, as the ECB is signalling very clearly at the moment that it will react to high inflation levels with decisive rate hikes,” said Esther Reichelt, FX analyst at Commerzbank.
Consumer prices in the German state of NRW rose by 1.8 per cent month-on-month in September, the highest monthly spike since March, and were up by 10.1 per cent year-on-year.
King dollar
The US dollar index, which measures the greenback against sterling, the euro and four other peers, bounced 0.66 per cent to 113.78, to stand not far below its 20-year high of 114.78, after having its worst day since March 2020 yesterday.
Official pushback is growing stronger, particularly in Asia where Japan, South Korea, India and Indonesia have been intervening in financial markets, to varying degrees, to support their currencies and asset prices.
Elsewhere, the risk-sensitive Australian dollar sank 1.2 per cent to US$0.6443. A new measure of consumer prices showed annual inflation eased a bit from August to July, offering hope that cost pressures might be close to a peak. — Reuters
