The general index of the US dollar records gains of 0.10% with the opening of the European session today, Tuesday, February 7, rising for the fourth consecutive session, trading at 103.71 levels, to trade at its highest level in four weeks, amid anticipation in the markets for the statements of the US Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell and many members of the Federal Reserve during the week .
The rises of the US dollar began after the US job numbers on Friday, which came in a strong way, adding more than 500,000 jobs in January, while the unemployment rate fell to its lowest level in 53 years at 3.4%. US interest at the end of the year.
FedWatch futures markets estimates from CME for a 25 basis point rate hike at the Bank’s March meeting increased by more than 96% and about 71% by another 25 basis points at the May 3rd meeting.
On the other hand, US Treasury bond yields rose to their highest levels in a month, affected by rising expectations to raise interest rates, as the yield on US Treasury bonds for 10 years is trading at 3.621.
The US dollar, being one of the safe-haven currencies, receives support from the rise in geopolitical tensions between the United States of America and China, after the suspected Chinese spy balloon incident that was shot down in the United States of America.
With the absence of strong economic data affecting currency movements, the markets are awaiting today the statements of US Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell from Washington, where the markets will await Powell’s comment on the recent employment figures and their impact on the course of monetary policy.
The Japanese yen is trading at 132.21 levels, declining against the US dollar, after the report issued yesterday, Monday, by the Nikkei newspaper, quoting anonymous sources, showed that the Japanese government and the ruling party had asked the Deputy Governor of the Japanese Central Bank, Masayoshi, to assume the position of governor of the bank, to succeed the current Kuroda, whose term of five years will expire. Years on the eighth of next April.
Masayoshi is from the Kuroda camp who is very supportive of easing monetary policy and a key player in formulating the Kuroda asset purchase program in 2013 and supports the idea of keeping interest rates very low, so if the reports are correct, it is expected that investors and markets will return expectations about the exit from the loose monetary policy from the Bank of Japan almost .
The euro is trading on a decline for the fourth consecutive session at 1.0708 levels, while the British pound is trading at 1.199 levels, losing 1.2000 levels for the first time since last January 6th.
The Australian dollar, in turn, loses the gains of the Asian session with the opening of the European markets, and is trading at 0.6920 levels, after the Australian Central Bank raised interest levels by 25 basis points.