Posts Tagged ‘Currencies’

Swiss Franc Retreats After Central Bank Statement

The Swiss currency had its previous week rally versus currencies like the pound and the euro halted today after the national central bank took a position against further advances of the franc, as the current appreciation was considered excessive by SNB officials. After a rally that lasted during most of the past week trading session, the Swiss National Bank President Philipp Hildebrand stated today that the franc’s fluctuations will be monitored closely, also signaling that policy makers will attempt to prevent further gains for the its currency, as current levels, specially versus the euro, are considered too high.

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Canadian Dollar Remains Strong on Commodities

The Canadian currency started another week strong versus several main traded currencies, specially lower yielding options, as demand for commodities continues to bring capital to Canada, the biggest oil supplier for the United States. The rising demand for energetic and metallic commodities is helping the loonie to remain as one of the best bets in foreign-exchange markets in the beginning of 2010, as commodities exports are responsible for around 50 percent of Canada’s international trading capital inflows. This Monday, the Canadian currency gave another step towards parity with its U.S.

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Pound to Decline Versus Higher-Yielding Currencies on Weak Recovery

The United Kingdom has been showing itself as one of the least resilient nations among the wealthiest countries in the world, and its weak economic data combined with a ineffective monetary policy is likely to set the sterling further down in the first semester of 2010, specially versus higher-yielding options Bank of England policy makers insisted to extend its so far frustrated bond purchase strategy, injecting its remaining 200 billion pounds on the program, as interest rates remain at an all-time record low of 0.50 percent, maintaining the pound’s outlook negative, specially as the traders started the year with high levels of risk appetite.

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Payrolls Cause Dollar’s Weekly Decline

The U.S. currency was performing quite well during most of this week’s session as optimism regarding the U.S. economy was high, but the employment data published on Friday forced the greenback down versus most of the main traded currencies, as figures came much below forecasts. The dollar posted the biggest weekly in two months as a non-farm payrolls report indicated more jobs cuts than expected, frustrating forecasts and declining odds that the Federal Reserve will lift stimulus and start a series of interest rate hikes that would happen sooner-than-expected, as some speculations suggested, if the economy accelerated at a faster pace.

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Chilean Peso Drops After Copper Rally

The Chilean peso outperformed most of the main traded currencies as a copper price rally boosted appeal for assets in Chile, which declined this Friday after the metallic commodities failed to extend their gains.The Chilean currency had a very positive performance apart from this Friday’s slide, as the economy showed signs of improvement according to the nation’s central bank, and the copper, responsible for one quarter of Chilean exports, had an increase on its rates and demand grows globally. In the last day of this week’s session, the copper retreated bringing the peso down as well.USD/CLP closed this week at 493.95 after trading as low as 490.95 this Friday.If you want to comment on the Chilean peso’s recent action or have any questions regarding this currency, please, feel free to reply below.

Investment Agency Rating Pushes Polish Zloty Up

The Polish currency advanced today in foreign-exchange markets as Pimco speculates that 2010 will allow several emerging markets to outperform other investments, favoring the zloty in this Friday’s trading session. The zloty benefited from statements coming from the largest bond fund in the world, Pacific Investment Management Co., which predicted better returns in 2010 for zloty-priced assets, as well as investments in Mexico and South Korea, helping their currencies to rally as well. EUR/PLN declined in the week comparison despite 4 days of consecutive gains before this Friday when it closed at 4.0688.

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Unexpectedly Negative Payrolls Force Greenback Down

An employment report waited during all the week and released today frustrated analysts bringing weaker-than-expected figures for the U.S. economy, pulling the dollar down versus most of the 16 main traded currencies.After the non-farm payrolls report indicated that employers cut more jobs than forecasts suggested, the demand for dollar-priced and high-yielding currencies declined significantly in foreign-exchange markets as traders become more risk averse interpreting the pessimist data indicated in the U.S. employment figures. The euro gained sharply versus the dollar following the negative employment report, but declined in the hours following the publication.

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Understanding Forex Quotes

Understanding forex quotes can be quite challenging and it may take some time while you can master the implications of these quotes.

A forex quote is always measured in respect of two currencies, where one currency is being sold and the other is being purchased. Also, there are two prices namely, the bid price and the ask price, one is the selling rate and the other is the buying rate.

Let us take a live example of a Forex Quote. If the forex quote of US dollar and Japan Yen. Now if the quote is USD/ JPY 106.52/56.

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The kiwi retreated at the end of last week on a rise in risk aversion

The kiwi dollar struggled on Friday enabling the pound to jump 1.4%, briefly nearing the 2.30 level, as risk appetite in the market waned.Higher-risk currencies struggled to make headway at the end of last week as the rally in global equities in the wake of the positive US GDP data came to an abrupt halt. As global stocks fell, investors sought shelter in the haven currencies fuelling a sell-off in the higher-yielding kiwi dollar, buoying the sterling price. In trading this morning, the New Zealand dollar has pulled back from six-week lows against the pound, with profit taking in high-yield currencies taking a pause.

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Having weakened off sharply on Friday, the aussie is trading strongly against the pound this morning

The pound climbed just over two cents against a broadly weakened aussie dollar on Friday with a rise in risk aversion putting selling pressure on the higher-yielding currency. Weak data in the US and plummeting global equity markets enable the pound to gain as investors took the opportunity to cash profits in the aussie and retreat to safer assets. Analysts have recently noted that the rally in risky assets could come to an end. Conditions for perceived riskier assets to gain requires a flow of positive economic data combined with loose global monetary policies and low interest rates.

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Kiwi strenghtened broadly yesterday, but the pound has stemmed its losses in trading this morning

Better-than-expected GDP figures in the US caused risk appetite to surge across the board enabling the kiwi to post gains of over a cent against the pound.The solid GDP figure in the US renewed optimism about recovery in the global economy, prompting investors to buy higher-yielding currencies. The kiwi, which has suffered recently on a rise in risk aversion, was able to reverse losses as the positive data encouraged investors to buy up riskier assets. However, in trading this morning, the pound is recouping losses, pushing the price back near 2.27 as market participants return their thoughts to the RBNZ’s rate statement on Wednesday where they indicated that interest rates would not be raised for some time.

With the US exiting recession, investors moved into higher-yielding assets bossting the aussie

The aussie dollar reversed recent losses yesterday after positive US GDP data encouraged investors to buy-back into perceived riskier currencies. The aussie pulled back nearly two cents, or 1.0%, bringing the sterling/aussie pair back down to trade around 1.80 as the data spurred demand for risk. Investors have been cashing profits in the Australian currency recently as global equities took a downturn, but yesterday’s figure saw traders revive long positions in the aussie. Analysts noted that the figures were a near-perfect combination for riskier assets: strong enough to encourage those with an optimistic outlook on the financial markets, but not too strong to generate expectations of accelerated monetary tightening from the Federal Reserve.

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Euro clawed back recent losses as investors moved into the “riskier” currency

The dollar snapped four days of gains against the euro as the US economy returned to growth in the three months through September, officially exiting recession.The US government’s advance estimate showed gross domestic product grew at an annualised rate of 3.5% in the third quarter, the first rise since the second quarter of 2008, which beat expectations for a reading of 3.3%. The data reduced the safe-haven appeal of the greenback, encouraging investors to sell their dollar holdings in favour of growth-linked currencies, enabling the euro to climb over a cent on the day.

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Sterling edged up against the dollar and is currently consolidating over 1.64 ahead of US GDP data

Sterling closed marginally up against the US currency yesterday, although the price was pulled back significantly following weak US housing data.In early trading, the pound lost ground to the dollar as falls in equity prices encouraged investors to trim their exposure to perceived higher risk currencies.UK stocks slid to a three-week low, helping to push the price down to 1.63, well under a level just below 1.67 reached only a week ago.The pound was then able to make slight gains in the afternoon after positive durable goods data weakened dollar demand, but the pair found resistance at 1.64.This data was then offset in the afternoon after it was revealed that sales of new homes in the US declined in September, against analyst expectations of a slight increase, which supported an upside movementIn trading today, markets will take direction from the US third-quarter GDP figure at 09:30, which is predicted to show a growth rate of 3.3%. Should it undershoot this forecast, investors are likely to move back into the dollar.

Sales data took the pound higher against the kiwi, continues to climb in trading this morning

The pound made up further ground on the kiwi dollar, gaining 0.65% after positive sales data supported evidence that the UK economy is still on the road to recovery. The sales data, which came in above market forecasts, encouraged investors to buy back into the UK currency, with the price briefly reaching above 2.20. Conversely, selling pressure remained on the New Zealand dollar after the nation’s Prime Minister expressed concern over the currency’s strength, and stated that there were few tools with which to deal with it. Higher-yielding currencies were also under pressure overnight as Asian equities turned negative, with Nikkei 225 losing over a percent, dulling demand for “riskier” assets. In trading this morning the pound has continued to rally, rising to a three-week high over 2.22 as a New Zealand business confidence survey unexpectedly undershot forecasts, weakening the possibility of a hawkish RBNZ rate statement to be made this evening at 20:00.


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