The dollar is rising strongly against the euro and the pound sterling and moderately more expensive against the yen, thanks to increased demand for protective assets and hawkish statements from Fed chiefs.
The ICE-calculated index showing the dynamics of the US dollar against six currencies (euro, Swiss franc, yen, Canadian dollar, pound sterling and Swedish krona) is up 0.4%, while the broader WSJ Dollar Index is up 0.34%.
The euro/dollar pair is trading at $1.0284 by 7:35 a.m., versus $1.0326 at the close of last Friday’s session; the euro is losing about 0.4%.
The dollar/yen is up 0.1% at 140.47 yen, up from 140.39 yen at the end of last session.
The pound is getting cheaper by 0.5% and is trading at $1.1829 versus $1.1888 the day before.
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis Governor James Ballard said last week that the Fed would have to keep raising the benchmark interest rate. At the same time, the charts accompanying his remarks showed that its level could reach 5-7% per year.
Meanwhile, Boston Fed Chair Susan Collins said Friday that the Fed could consider various options for changing the interest rate at its December meeting, including a 75 basis point hike.
The Fed has raised the rate by 75 bps at its last four meetings, and now analysts and economists generally expect the next hike to be 50 bps.
The Fed will hold its next meeting on December 13-14.
The dollar is also supported by demand for safe haven assets amid fears over the spread of the coronavirus in China and actions by authorities to contain the pandemic, writes Trading Economics.
