|

Chinese Yuan: Forecast band tightened as stability holds against US Dollar – ING

ING's Chief Economist Lynn Song notes that the CNY has been one of the strongest performers in 2026, even against a firm Dollar backdrop. Song tightens its USD/CNY forecast band to 6.67–6.92 for the rest of the year, citing PBoC-driven currency stability, strong Chinese exports, a robust current account surplus and expectations of a narrowing US-China yield spread.

CNY resilience and revised band

"The CNY has been one of the top performers so far in 2026. With upside risks increasingly reflected in current valuations, we are narrowing and modestly lowering our forecast range to 6.67–6.92 for the remainder of the year."

"Will the CNY outperformance repeat in the second half? This is probably a more dollar-centric rather than CNY-centric question. The dollar-weakening trend would likely result in the CNY underperforming other currencies."

"With the PBOC holding fixings near 6.80 over the past month — after earlier, more gradual downward moves — that level now looks like a sensible midpoint for our forecast band for the second half of the year."

"As we enter the second half of the year, we tighten and nudge down our USD/CNY forecast band, revising it to 6.67-6.92."

"With markets already pricing in a hawkish Fed, modest PBOC easing, continued Middle East risks, and slowing Chinese growth, there might need to be substantial new catalysts to drive the CNY back toward the 7 level for the remainder of the year."

(This article was created with the help of an Artificial Intelligence tool and reviewed by an editor. Know more.)

Author

FXStreet Insights Team

The FXStreet Insights Team is a group of journalists that handpicks selected market observations published by renowned experts. The content includes notes by commercial as well as additional insights by internal and external analysts.

More from FXStreet Insights Team
Share:

Editor's Picks

GBP/USD clings to gains near 1.3400

GBP/USD retreats after reaching a three-week high above 1.3430, challenging the 1.3400 yardstick on Thursday. Although easing political uncertainty in the UK helps the quid limit its downside, escalating tensions in the Middle East support the Greenback, keeping Cable under scrutiny.

EUR/USD faces resistance around 1.1450

EUR/USD keeps the bid bias although it seems to have met a tough hurdle around 1.1450 on Thursday. The pair’s advance follows the bearish tone in the US Dollar despite escalating tensions in the Middle East and a broad-based cautious stance from market participants.

Gold flirts with two-day highs, approaches $4,130

Gold stages a modest rebound on Thursday, setting aside a three-day losing streak and managing to surpass the $4,100 mark per troy ounce. However, steady geopolitical tensions have revived concerns over persistently high global inflation, reinforcing expectations of higher rates across the board and somewhat curtailing the yellow metal’s upside potential.

Bitcoin stalls as mixed ETF flows, renewed US-Iran tensions cap upside

Bitcoin trades at $63,000 on Thursday, recovering slightly after facing rejection near $64,000. Renewed geopolitical uncertainty has dampened risk appetite, limiting BTC upside potential.

Japan may be changing its Yen strategy, but markets don’t look scared
Japan may be changing its intervention playbook, but that might not be enough to rescue the battered Yen. With USD/JPY hovering at four-decade highs, the currency’s weakness is being driven less by speculative pressure and more by a powerful structural force: the wide US-Japan rate gap.
Bye, forward guidance: How to trade when central banks choose silence

Central banks have spent years telling markets what might come next. Now, traders face the possibility that they say a lot less. From the Federal Reserve to the European Central Bank and the Bank of England, policymakers are pushing back against forward guidance.