Dollar hits 15-month low

NEW YORK, March 22 (Reuters) – The U.S. dollar hit a 15-month low against other major currencies on Tuesday and could extend losses as a resumption in risk appetite spurred demand for currencies that offer higher returns.

Expectations of a euro zone interest rate hike next month lifted the euro to a 4-1/2-month high against the dollar earlier, but gains were capped by a reported options barrier at $1.4250 and a sell-off in euro/sterling following a jump in UK inflation data.

The yen traded in a tight range, hovering around 81 per dollar. In the near term, analysts said the 80 to 80.85 area could serve as a floor as markets remained on alert for further intervention by the Group of Seven nations to counter yen strength.

Global financial markets stabilized after G7 launched coordinated yen-weakening intervention last week and euro zone officials agreed Monday on the setup of the European Stability Mechanism, or a permanent euro zone bailout fund.

“Generally global policymakers and authorities are really opening the door to taking on more risk,” said Camilla Sutton, senior currency strategist at Scotia Capital in Toronto.

The dollar index, a measure of the greenback’s value against a basket of six major currencies, fell 0.2 percent to 75.249 .DXY, the lowest since early December 2009.

Reuters

Content is for general information purposes only. It is not investment advice or a solution to buy or sell securities. Opinions are the authors; not necessarily that of OANDA Business Information & Services, Inc. or any of its affiliates, subsidiaries, officers or directors. If you would like to reproduce or redistribute any of the content found on MarketPulse, an award winning forex, commodities and global indices analysis and news site service produced by OANDA Business Information & Services, Inc., please access the RSS feed or contact us at info@marketpulse.com. Visit https://www.marketpulse.com/ to find out more about the beat of the global markets. © 2023 OANDA Business Information & Services Inc.

Dean Popplewell

Dean Popplewell

Vice-President of Market Analysis at MarketPulse
Dean Popplewell has nearly two decades of experience trading currencies and fixed income instruments. He has a deep understanding of market fundamentals and the impact of global events on capital markets. He is respected among professional traders for his skilled analysis and career history as global head of trading for firms such as Scotia Capital and BMO Nesbitt Burns. Since joining OANDA in 2006, Dean has played an instrumental role in driving awareness of the forex market as an emerging asset class for retail investors, as well as providing expert counsel to a number of internal teams on how to best serve clients and industry stakeholders.
Dean Popplewell