Get 40% Off
🤯 This Tech Portfolio is up 29% YTD! Join Now to Get April’s Top PicksGet The Picks – Just 99 USD

U.S. dollar posts steep gains as investors brace for non-farm payrolls

Published 06/10/2022, 02:15
Updated 06/10/2022, 21:20
© Reuters. FILE PHOTO: U.S. Dollar banknote is seen in this illustration taken July 17, 2022. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration

© Reuters. FILE PHOTO: U.S. Dollar banknote is seen in this illustration taken July 17, 2022. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration

By Caroline Valetkevitch and Gertrude Chavez-Dreyfuss

NEW YORK (Reuters) -The dollar rose on Thursday, climbing for a second straight session, as investors bet on another strong U.S. non-farm payrolls report that should keep the Federal Reserve on an aggressive tightening path for some time.

{{2126|The dodollar index, which measures the greenback against a basket of currencies, surged more than 1% to 112.22 and was up about 17% for the year so far.

"The dollar is on a roll again as stocks slump and recession fears hammer European currencies," said Joe Manimbo, senior market analyst, at payments company Convera in Washington.

"The buck's pop also reflects the market betting on another solid jobs report that reinforces the Fed's hawkish rate path."

U.S. non-farm payrolls for September are due to be released on Friday, with economists forecasting a headline print of 250,000 new jobs, compared with 315,000 in August.

Chicago Fed President Charles Evans on Thursday said the Fed's policy rate is likely headed to 4.5%-4.75% by the spring of 2023 as the Fed increases borrowing costs to bring down too-high inflation.

The euro was down 0.9% against the dollar at $0.9794, earlier falling after the release of European Central Bank minutes from last month's meeting that showed policymakers were worried that inflation could get stuck at exceptionally high levels.

Separately, a source told Reuters on Thursday, citing provisional figures, that the German government expects Europe's largest economy to slide into recession next year, contracting 0.4% as an energy crisis, rising prices and supply bottlenecks take their toll.

Sterling was down 1.5% versus the dollar at $1.1151. The euro also firmed against the pound, up 0.7% at 87.83 pence.

Against the yen, the dollar rose 0.3% to 145.05. It hit a session high of 145.135, not far from a 24-year peak of 145.90 yen touched on Sept. 22, which triggered a yen-buying intervention from Japanese authorities.

Against the Swiss franc, the dollar rose 0.8% to 0.9906 francs.

Currency markets have struggled to find a clear direction this week, following a dramatic third quarter. The dollar initially slid against most majors, before regaining ground.

"It's the calm before the storm - the non-farm payrolls storm," said Edward Moya, senior market analyst at OANDA in New York.

"Everyone knows the Fed has been consistent with their messaging. The Fed is not done bringing down inflation, and they are locked into this aggressive rate-hiking campaign that will only change once we start to see inflation come down."

A major factor driving currency markets currently has been changing expectations of how aggressively central banks' - particularly the Fed - will raise interest rates.

A key question is whether policymakers will pivot from primarily worrying about inflation to also considering slowing economic growth, and possibly leading to more cautious interest rate hikes.

U.S. inflation data next week will be closely watched.

U.S benchmark Treasury yields whose recent gains had helped drive the greenback higher, were up about 6 basis points at 3.8175%.

© Reuters. FILE PHOTO: U.S. Dollar banknote is seen in this illustration taken July 17, 2022. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration

The Australian dollar was down 1.12% against the greenback at US$0.6412, still struggling after an unexpectedly modest 25 bp hike in Australia.

The U.S. dollar was up 0.9% against the Canadian dollar a.t C$1.3743

Latest comments

Risk Disclosure: Trading in financial instruments and/or cryptocurrencies involves high risks including the risk of losing some, or all, of your investment amount, and may not be suitable for all investors. Prices of cryptocurrencies are extremely volatile and may be affected by external factors such as financial, regulatory or political events. Trading on margin increases the financial risks.
Before deciding to trade in financial instrument or cryptocurrencies you should be fully informed of the risks and costs associated with trading the financial markets, carefully consider your investment objectives, level of experience, and risk appetite, and seek professional advice where needed.
Fusion Media would like to remind you that the data contained in this website is not necessarily real-time nor accurate. The data and prices on the website are not necessarily provided by any market or exchange, but may be provided by market makers, and so prices may not be accurate and may differ from the actual price at any given market, meaning prices are indicative and not appropriate for trading purposes. Fusion Media and any provider of the data contained in this website will not accept liability for any loss or damage as a result of your trading, or your reliance on the information contained within this website.
It is prohibited to use, store, reproduce, display, modify, transmit or distribute the data contained in this website without the explicit prior written permission of Fusion Media and/or the data provider. All intellectual property rights are reserved by the providers and/or the exchange providing the data contained in this website.
Fusion Media may be compensated by the advertisers that appear on the website, based on your interaction with the advertisements or advertisers.
© 2007-2024 - Fusion Media Limited. All Rights Reserved.