Investing.com-- Most Asian currencies inched up on Monday, while the Japanese yen firmed against the dollar as nomination of fund manager Scott Bessent as Treasury Secretary pulled U.S. bond yields lower and put the greenback on the backfoot.
Yields on 10-year Treasuries slipped to 4.351%, as President-elect Donald Trump's nomination of Bessent saw investors positioning for a more moderate head of the Treasury, especially on the topic of trade tariffs and immigration.
The dollar Index was last down 0.5% at 106.950, after hitting a two-year peak of 108.090 on Friday. Dollar index futures also eased.
The Japanese yen’s USD/JPY pair was 0.4% lower on Monday after a 0.4% drop in the previous week. The currency pair tends to closely follow moves in Treasury yields, and had risen sharply in the past two months as the yen weakened.
The Chinese yuan's USD/CNY pair was largely flat after rising 0.2% last week, and the Malaysia ringgit's USD/MYR pair fell 0.3%. The Australian dollar’s AUD/USD pair rose 0.4%.
Dollar loses ground after eight straight weeks of gains
The dollar retreated on Monday after surging for the past eight weeks. Bessent's nomination as Treasury Secretary weighed on the dollar, amid some bets that he will be a voice of moderation in Trump's administration.
Still, the dollar's pullback could be temporary, given that Bessent has openly favored a strong dollar and has also supported trade tariffs.
The greenback is expected to remain supported by Trump’s policies, which are seen as inflationary, and are likely to result in higher-for-longer rates in the U.S. over the coming years.
Meanwhile, market participants also pared back bets for a quarter-point rate cut from the Federal Reserve in December to 52%, compared to 72% a month ago, according CME Fedwatch.
The personal consumption expenditures (PCE) index, the Fed’s preferred measure of inflation, is scheduled for release the coming Friday, and is expected to provide more cues on interest rates.
Asian economic readings in focus
Singapore dollar’s USD/SGD pair was largely flat after the release of monthly consumer inflation numbers. Data showed that consumer price index inflation rose 1.4% in October from a year earlier, lower than a forecast of 1.8% due to a moderation in services, electricity and gas, and other goods inflation, official data showed on Monday.
The Reserve Bank of New Zealand is scheduled to meet on Wednesday and is widely expected to cut interest rates by 50 basis points again. The New Zealand dollar's NZD/USD pair rose 0.4% after sliding to a one-year low on Friday.
The Indian rupee's USD/INR fell 0.2%, remaining close to recent record highs. India is set to release its third-quarter GDP on Friday.
China will release purchasing managers index data for November on Saturday. Before that, industrial profit data from China is due on Wednesday.
South Korea’s USD/KRW pair was 0.2% lower. The Bank of Korea is set to decide on interest rates on Wednesday, and could potentially trim rates further.