Analysts at Westpac offered a market wrap noting that Asia's strong equity gains were followed by a cooler mood in Europe and North America while the US dollar softened in line with lower bond yields.
Key Quotes:
"EUR/USD ranged between roughly 1.2290 and 1.2340, a little firmer overall, while GBP/USD rose 0.4% in NY trade to just over 1.3900. CAD was the G10 underperformer as crude oil prices gave up some of Friday’s gains.
USD/JPY extended the Sydney session decline to near 106.30, only about -0.4% on the day but showing some sign of unease over Japanese political stability. The Ministry of Finance admitted that documents relating to the sale of land had been doctored. Finance minister Taro Aso said he is not thinking of resigning but Japanese press claim he will not attend the G20 meeting in Argentina this month.
AUD extended a week-old rally to 0.7880. In contrast, NZD slipped from a multi-week high of 0.7323 to 0.7285. AUD/NZD thus rose from 1.0750 to 1.0800.
The US data calendar was limited to the Feb budget statement, which showed a sharp widening in the deficit as expected, to -$215bn, the largest monthly deficit since 2012. Treasury spending rose 2%yr, while receipts fell 9%yr, as the tax cut package began to take effect. The US 10yr treasury yield slipped from 2.90% to under 2.87% in the NY afternoon as US equities lost momentum, while 2yr yields ranged sideways between 2.26% and 2.27%. Fed fund futures continued to price three more hikes by end-2018 and another hike in 2019."
Information on these pages contains forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. Markets and instruments profiled on this page are for informational purposes only and should not in any way come across as a recommendation to buy or sell in these assets. You should do your own thorough research before making any investment decisions. FXStreet does not in any way guarantee that this information is free from mistakes, errors, or material misstatements. It also does not guarantee that this information is of a timely nature. Investing in Open Markets involves a great deal of risk, including the loss of all or a portion of your investment, as well as emotional distress. All risks, losses and costs associated with investing, including total loss of principal, are your responsibility. The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of FXStreet nor its advertisers. The author will not be held responsible for information that is found at the end of links posted on this page.
If not otherwise explicitly mentioned in the body of the article, at the time of writing, the author has no position in any stock mentioned in this article and no business relationship with any company mentioned. The author has not received compensation for writing this article, other than from FXStreet.
FXStreet and the author do not provide personalized recommendations. The author makes no representations as to the accuracy, completeness, or suitability of this information. FXStreet and the author will not be liable for any errors, omissions or any losses, injuries or damages arising from this information and its display or use. Errors and omissions excepted.
The author and FXStreet are not registered investment advisors and nothing in this article is intended to be investment advice.
Recommended content
Editors’ Picks
EUR/USD turns negative near 1.0760
The sudden bout of strength in the Greenback sponsored the resurgence of the selling pressure in the risk complex, dragging EUR/USD to the area of daily lows near 1.0760.
GBP/USD comes under pressure and challenges 1.2500
GBP/USD now rapidly loses momentum and gives away initial gains, returning to the 1.2500 region on the back of the strong comeback of the US Dollar.
Gold retreats from highs on stronger Dollar, yields
XAU/USD trims part of its initial advance in response to the jump in the Dollar's buying interest and the re-emergence of the upside pressure in US yields.
XRP tests support at $0.50 as Ripple joins alliance to work on blockchain recovery
XRP trades around $0.5174 early on Friday, wiping out gains from earlier in the week, as Ripple announced it has joined an alliance to support digital asset recovery alongside Hedera and the Algorand Foundation.
Week ahead – US inflation numbers to shake Fed rate cut bets
Fed rate-cut speculators rest hopes on US inflation data. After dovish BoE, pound traders turn to UK job numbers. Will a strong labor market convince the RBA to hike? More Chinese data on tap amid signs of slow Q2 start.