US Treasury Secretary Bessent says Oil prices to fall, Yen to strengthen
Scott Bessent, the US Treasury Secretary, crossed the wires in an interview with CNBC, saying Oil prices will come down and that US President Donald Trump has been saying that Iran is not ready for a deal.
He added he believes the Bank of Japan and the Japanese government will do things that will lead to a strong Yen. Bessent added that he will meet with his Canadian counterpart, assuring that “we are not in war with Canada."
Key highlights:
OPERATION OUTCAST WILL MAKE IRAN WANT TO MAKE A DEAL. THE GOAL IS TO CREATE A CONDITION THAT THEY'D WANT TO COME TO THE TABLE
WE HAVE MORE IN COMMON WITH CHINA ON IRAN THAN WE DISAGREE ON
FED'S CHAIR WARSH AND I ARE ON THE SAME PAGE ON BONDS
I AM NOT GOING TO SPECULATE ON WHAT THE FED MAY DO OR NOT
TRADITIONALLY, YOU DON'T RAISE RATES INTO A SUPPLY SHOCK
CORE INFLATION HAS REMAINED VERY RESTRAINED
MY BELIEF IS THAT JAPANESE GOVERNMENT AND BOJ WILL DO THINGS THAT WILL LEAD TO A STRONGER YEN
MEETING WITH CANADIAN COUNTERPART
WE ARE NOT IN WAR WITH CANADA
CARNEY NOT DOING WHAT'S BEST FOR CANADIAN PEOPLE
US Dollar Price Today
The table below shows the percentage change of US Dollar (USD) against listed major currencies today. US Dollar was the strongest against the Australian Dollar.
| USD | EUR | GBP | JPY | CAD | AUD | NZD | CHF | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| USD | -0.27% | -0.11% | -0.21% | -0.27% | 0.05% | 0.00% | -0.19% | |
| EUR | 0.27% | 0.13% | 0.06% | -0.00% | 0.27% | 0.29% | 0.09% | |
| GBP | 0.11% | -0.13% | -0.06% | -0.14% | 0.12% | 0.14% | -0.03% | |
| JPY | 0.21% | -0.06% | 0.06% | -0.07% | 0.25% | 0.23% | 0.05% | |
| CAD | 0.27% | 0.00% | 0.14% | 0.07% | 0.32% | 0.31% | 0.10% | |
| AUD | -0.05% | -0.27% | -0.12% | -0.25% | -0.32% | 0.00% | -0.16% | |
| NZD | -0.01% | -0.29% | -0.14% | -0.23% | -0.31% | -0.00% | -0.18% | |
| CHF | 0.19% | -0.09% | 0.03% | -0.05% | -0.10% | 0.16% | 0.18% |
The heat map shows percentage changes of major currencies against each other. The base currency is picked from the left column, while the quote currency is picked from the top row. For example, if you pick the US Dollar from the left column and move along the horizontal line to the Japanese Yen, the percentage change displayed in the box will represent USD (base)/JPY (quote).
Risk sentiment FAQs
In the world of financial jargon the two widely used terms “risk-on” and “risk off'' refer to the level of risk that investors are willing to stomach during the period referenced. In a “risk-on” market, investors are optimistic about the future and more willing to buy risky assets. In a “risk-off” market investors start to ‘play it safe’ because they are worried about the future, and therefore buy less risky assets that are more certain of bringing a return, even if it is relatively modest.
Typically, during periods of “risk-on”, stock markets will rise, most commodities – except Gold – will also gain in value, since they benefit from a positive growth outlook. The currencies of nations that are heavy commodity exporters strengthen because of increased demand, and Cryptocurrencies rise. In a “risk-off” market, Bonds go up – especially major government Bonds – Gold shines, and safe-haven currencies such as the Japanese Yen, Swiss Franc and US Dollar all benefit.
The Australian Dollar (AUD), the Canadian Dollar (CAD), the New Zealand Dollar (NZD) and minor FX like the Ruble (RUB) and the South African Rand (ZAR), all tend to rise in markets that are “risk-on”. This is because the economies of these currencies are heavily reliant on commodity exports for growth, and commodities tend to rise in price during risk-on periods. This is because investors foresee greater demand for raw materials in the future due to heightened economic activity.
The major currencies that tend to rise during periods of “risk-off” are the US Dollar (USD), the Japanese Yen (JPY) and the Swiss Franc (CHF). The US Dollar, because it is the world’s reserve currency, and because in times of crisis investors buy US government debt, which is seen as safe because the largest economy in the world is unlikely to default. The Yen, from increased demand for Japanese government bonds, because a high proportion are held by domestic investors who are unlikely to dump them – even in a crisis. The Swiss Franc, because strict Swiss banking laws offer investors enhanced capital protection.
Author
Christian Borjon Valencia
FXStreet
Markets analyst, news editor, and trading instructor with over 14 years of experience across FX, commodities, US equity indices, and global macro markets.
