Dollar falls as improving sentiment boosts riskier currencies

Mon Feb 22 2021

 

Aussie, kiwi currencies rise early against USD; British pound up as exit from lockdown looms

 

The US dollar fell to a three-year low against its Australian counterpart and teetered near three-year low against the British pound as progress in curbing coronavirus infections boosted sentiment for riskier assets. The greenback also slipped toward a three-year low against the New Zealand dollar as traders sought currencies with close ties to the global commodities trade due to an improving economic outlook.

 

The US currency, which is often considered a safe asset during times of uncertainty, is likely to fall further as more investors focus on economic recovery once the worst of the coronavirus pandemic passes. "Commodity currencies and the pound are particularly strong against the dollar, and this trend looks set to continue," said Yukio Ishizuki, foreign exchange strategist at Daiwa Securities. "Britain's vaccination programme is making a lot of progress. Economic activity is gradually returning to normal in many places, which puts some pressure on the dollar."

 

The Australian dollar hit $0.7892, its highest since March 2018, while the New Zealand currency rose to $0.7315, its strongest since April 2018. Vaccine roll-outs will ease risks to Australia’s economy over the year, ratings agency Fitch said on Monday when it maintained the country’s top AAA credit rating, albeit with a negative outlook. The euro last traded at $1.2124.

 

The British pound bought $1.4030, close to a three-year high. Against the yen, the dollar held steady at 105.45.

 

Australia on Monday began its mass Covid-19 vaccine programme as the country looked set to report no local cases for the third straight day, which gave the Aussie a boost. Sterling is also in focus because British Prime Minister Boris Johnson will plot a path out of coronavirus lockdowns later on Monday, aided by one of the fastest vaccine roll-outs in the world.

 

Dollar net short positioning fell last week to $29.09 billion, which is the lowest level since mid-December, according to calculations by Reuters and Commodity Futures Trading Commission data. US dollar net shorts have fallen for four straight weeks, which shows that there are still some investors who are optimistic about the greenback. Long-term Treasury yields have been rising recently, and the United States has also improved its response to the coronavirus, which will lend the dollar some mild support, Daiwa’s Ishizuki said.

 

In the cryptocurrency market, bitcoin eased slightly to $57,090, but was still near a record high as the digital asset gains more mainstream acceptance. Ether, a rival cryptocurrency, fell to $1,918.

 

Currency bid prices at 0014 GMT

 

Description RIC Last U.S. Close Pct Change YTD Pct High Bid Low Bid Previous Change Session Euro/Dollar

 

$1.2124 $1.2118 +0.04% -0.78% +1.2129 +1.2110

 

Dollar/Yen 105.4550 105.4900 +0.02% +2.15% +105.6150 +105.5050

 

Euro/Yen 127.86 127.75 +0.09% +0.74% +127.9800 +127.7000

 

Dollar/Swiss 0.8966 0.8965 +0.04% +1.37% +0.8974 +0.8968

 

Sterling/Dollar 1.4030 1.4001 +0.18% +2.66% +1.4030 +1.4013

 

Dollar/Canadian 1.2603 1.2619 -0.12% -1.02% +1.2617 +1.2598

 

Aussie/Dollar 0.7884 0.7868 +0.20% +2.49% +0.7891 +0.7864

 

NZ 0.7305 0.7297 +0.10% +1.71% +0.7316 +0.7292

 

Dollar/Dollar All spots Tokyo spots Europe spots Volatilities Tokyo Forex market info from BOJ

 

Source: Reuters