US dollar limps up from 4-month low vs yen, Trump's healthcare bill in focus

[TOKYO] The US dollar nudged up from four-month lows against the yen early on Thursday, although US President Donald Trump's struggle to push through a healthcare bill could weigh on any recovery in the greenback.

The US currency has struggled this week as growing doubts over Mr Trump's ability to push through with economic policies triggered broad risk aversion and buffeted equities. US Treasury yields declined in turn, eroding the US dollar's interest allure.

Financial markets' immediate focus is on whether Mr Trump can gather enough support at a vote later in the day to pass a bill to rollback Obamacare, one of his key campaign pledges.

Mr Trump's plan faces resistance from some conservative Republicans who view it as too similar to Obamacare, and from moderates concerned it will hurt some voters.

"The vote on Obamacare is a litmus test for Trump. If he can't push through the bill (on Obamacare), it would further damage stocks. It also raises the risk of his other policies, like tax cuts, being delayed," said Masafumi Yamamoto, chief forex strategist at Mizuho Securities in Tokyo.

"So today's vote is of main importance to the currency market."

With global equities buffeted by risk aversion this week - Wall Street on Tuesday suffered its worst day since Mr Trump's election - the US dollar has struggled notably against the yen, often sought by investors due to its perceived safe-haven status in times of market tumult.

The US dollar was up 0.2 per cent at 111.345 yen, enjoying a bit of respite after sliding to a four-month low of 110.735 on Wednesday, when it fell for the seventh straight session.

The euro inched down 0.1 per cent to US$1.0789 after advancing to a seven-week high of US$1.0825 overnight.

The common currency has been supported this week on growing expectations of a tightening in European Central Bank monetary policy this year, and on bets that the anti-euro candidate Marine Le Pen will be defeated in the French presidential elections.

The US dollar index against a basket of major currencies was up 0.1 per cent to 99.791 after its descent to a seven-week trough of 99.457 the previous day.

The pound was a touch lower at US$1.2472 but still in reach of a one-month high of US$1.2507 scaled on Wednesday.

Sterling briefly dipped on Wednesday following what the police described as a "marauding terrorist attack" in London, but it recovered when there were no reports of other separate incidents.

The Australian dollar was down 0.2 per cent at US$0.7665 and the New Zealand US dollar was steady at US$0.7040 .

REUTERS