Dollar retreats as traders await more US data

London

THE US dollar retreated after its recent bounce on Monday as investors made a cautious start to a week crammed with central bank meetings and big-ticket US economic data, waiting for clues on the global inflation outlook and policymakers' responses.

Trade was thinned by holidays in Japan, China and Britain, which kept a lid on volatility, leaving the greenback to trade where it settled after a Friday leap. It slid back to US$1.2054 per euro and crept to a three-week high of 109.66 yen.

Comments by Luis de Guindos, the European Central Bank's (ECB) vice-president, helped the euro gain against the US dollar at the start of the London session. The ECB can start to phase out emergency stimulus measures when the pace of coronavirus vaccinations reaches a critical level and the economy picks up speed, he told an Italian newspaper.

The dollar index, measured against six major currencies, fell back to 91.097 by midday in London, down from an earlier Asian session high of 91.390.

The index dropped 2 per cent through April as a positive view of global recovery prospects lifted trade-exposed currencies at the US dollar's expense, but bounced with upbeat US consumption data on Friday.

"We remain bearish USD linked to peak US exceptionalism, and a broadening global recovery elsewhere," said CitiFX analysts Ebrahim Rahbari and Calvin Tse in a note to clients.

"We attribute the USD rebound late last week in part to noise around month-end flows, but note the risk for higher US rates to change the FX trajectory. Meanwhile, BRL and CAD remain among the favourites, while JPY was held back by rising rates, and several EMs by idiosyncratic headwinds."

The Australian and New Zealand dollars were marginally firmer on Monday, though not enough to recoup a dip suffered on Friday.

The Aussie rose 0.3 per cent US$0.7735 to trade around its 20-day moving average, while the kiwi edged 0.3 per cent higher to US$0.7177, also just above its 20-day moving average. Sterling was the outperformer against the US dollar among the G10 group of currencies, up 0.4 per cent on the day at US$1.3872.

The South Korean won hit a one-week low after North Korea vowed it would respond to what it regards as hostile US policy, while pressure for a national lockdown in India pushed the rupee a little lower. REUTERS