US dollar steady near 4-month highs, awaits Fed and data for fresh cues

[TOKYO] The US dollar held steady near four-month highs on Tuesday, awaiting the Federal Reserve's policy decision and key US employment data due later in the week for fresh cues.

The Fed concludes its two-day meeting on Wednesday. The central bank is widely expected to stand pat on policy and investors will be watching for hints of a rate hike in June.

The markets are also focused on Friday's April US non-farm payrolls report, which could provide further signs of strength in the world's biggest economy.

The US dollar index against a basket of six major currencies stood little changed at 91.805 after rising to as high as 91.986 on Monday, its strongest since Jan 11.

The greenback had risen 2 per cent in April for its biggest monthly gain since November 2016 after the US 10-year Treasury yield climbed above the psychologically significant 3 per cent threshold to four-year highs last week.

The US currency received its latest lift after the euro slumped to near three-month lows overnight on soft German March retail sales data, which dampened expectations that the European Central Bank would soon begin unwinding its massive stimulus.

"The euro's downturn is expected to continue in the near term amid receding prospects of the ECB embarking on monetary tightening," said Masafumi Yamamoto, chief forex strategist at Mizuho Securities in Tokyo.

"With such themes weighing on its peers, the dollar looks well supported against the euro and pound, even without help from US higher Treasury yields."

The euro was nearly flat at US$1.2079 after slipping 0.4 per cent overnight and approaching US$1.2055, the 3-1/2-month low set on Friday.

The pound traded at US$1.3771 after dropping to a two-month low of US$1.3715 on Monday.

Sterling had soared to a 22-month high near US$1.4377 just two weeks ago on speculation that the Bank of England would hike interest rates soon.

Weak economic data and dovish comments by BoE governor Mark Carney, however, have rapidly cooled expectations for a near-term rate increase, sending the pound sliding from its post-Brexit referendum highs.

The US dollar was a shade lower at 109.270 yen.

The greenback climbed to a 2-1/2-month high of 109.540 yen on Friday as long-term US yields rose. But it has lost momentum as Treasury yields have pulled back from four-year peaks.

Earlier this year, the correlation between US yields and the US dollar had broken down as investors focused more on trade frictions and tense global politics.

Markets, however, have recently turned their attention to interest rate plays as concerns over the US-China trade dispute and tensions over North Korea's nuclear programme eased.

Currencies such as the Australian and New Zealand dollars, which previously enjoyed the support of relatively high interest rates, have declined as their yield advantages have been eroded.

The Aussie traded at US$0.7532 after dropping to US$0.7525 on Monday, its lowest since Dec 12.

The New Zealand dollar extended its decline to touch US$0.7032, its lowest since Dec 27. The kiwi fell nearly 3 per cent in April.

REUTERS