Investors take long positions in Asian currencies for first in two months – Reuters

Omkar Godbole FXStreet Contributor

In a sign of confidence that the US trade and foreign policy under Democrat Joe Biden's leadership would be less confrontational, investors have taken bullish bets in the Asian currencies for the first time in two months, a Reuters poll shows.

Key points

Bullish positions in the Chinese yuan and Singapore dollar have strengthened, according to the fortnightly poll of 16 respondents.

Sentiment towards the Indonesian rupiah has reversed, with positions now turning bullish after more than two months.

Bets on the Thai baht have turned firmly bullish, climbing to their highest level since late January.

Bullish bets on the South Korean won have outpaced those on its peers and stand at their highest since early July 2014.

Author

Omkar Godbole

FXStreet Contributor

Omkar Godbole, editor and analyst, joined FXStreet after four years as a research analyst at several Indian brokerage companies.

GBP/USD surges to multi-day peaks past 1.3250

GBP/USD leaves behind Friday’s small pullback and advances past 1.3250 level, or five-day highs, on Monday. Cable’s upside follows extra losses in the Greenback, while traders continue to assess the geopolitical front and upcoming key events.

EUR/USD softens to near 1.1400 as ECB tightening bets fade

The EUR/USD pair trades with mild losses around 1.1415 during the early Asian session on Tuesday. The Euro softens against the US Dollar as traders reduce their bets on the European Central Bank rate hikes this year.

Gold tumbles 1.5% to fresh seven-month lows below $3,950

Gold remains under strong selling pressure for the second straight day early Tuesday, refreshing seven-month lows below $3,950. Renewed US-Iran hostilities over the weekend cast doubts over the sustainability of the peace deal. This, along with elevated expectations for Fed rate hikes, offers some support to the US Dollar and undermines the bullion.

Bitcoin stalls at $60K as buyer conviction fades, Strategy authorizes BTC sales

Bitcoin is trading around the $60,000 level on Monday after a sharp decline last week. With the top crypto struggling to recover, analysts suggest the market remains firmly in defensive territory as investors await stronger signs of demand.

Just like Fed, is BoJ’s independence under threat?

When talking about central bank independence, most of the focus has been on Donald Trump’s pressure on the Federal Reserve. But a similar story, a quieter one for now, seems to be happening on the other side of the Pacific: Japan’s government may be testing the Bank of Japan’s independence.

Kevin Warsh isn't expected to say much in Sintra: That's exactly why markets will listen

Financial markets could find an important catalyst in the enchanting, fairytale-like landscape of Sintra this week. The ECB Forum will, as it does every year, gather the crème de la crème of central banks. The new boss at the Fed, who has clearly said that the Fed should stop explaining everything, will need to talk – and traders should listen.