Dollar Falls on China’s & Europe’s Manufacturing

US DollarThe US dollar declined today, along with other safe currencies, as manufacturing growth in Europe and China was somewhat higher than was predicted by forecasters, reducing demand for the currency as a safe haven.

HSBC Flash China Manufacturing PMI was at 49.8 in August, somewhat higher than the median forecast of 49.7 and the highest level in two months. Flash Eurozone Manufacturing PMI was at 49.7 this month, a little higher than expected (49.6), but lower than July figure — 50.4. The Standard & Poor’s 500 Index rose 1.5 percent, while the Stoxx Europe 600 Index went up 1.6 percent.

EUR/USD rose from 1.4357 to 1.4483 today as of 10:33 GMT and posted the high of 1.4499 during the day. GBP/USD climbed from 1.6450 to 1.6544, while reached the intraday high of 1.6572 earlier.

If you have any questions, comments or opinions regarding the US Dollar, feel free to post them using the commentary form below.

Earlier News About the US Dollar:

    * Dollar Rises While Traders Afraid of Recession (2011-08-18)
    * Good Week for Dollar Even After FOMC Statement (2011-08-13)
    * Week Begins with Fall of EUR/USD & USD/JPY (2011-08-08)
    * Future of the US Dollar with AA+ Rating (2011-08-07)
    * Dollar Declines as Stock Markets Continue Their Fall (2011-08-05)

Decline of UK Service Industries Hurts Pound

Great Britain poundThe Great Britain pound tumbled today as the Services Purchasing Managers’ Index slumped in August, confirming a bad state of Britain’s economy and reducing attractiveness of the UK currency as a haven from problems in continental Europe.

The Services PMI dropped from 55.4 in July to 51.1 in August, only a little above the level of 50.0 that indicates no change. The report said:

    Respondents primarily blaming a weaker underlying trend in new business and general economic uncertainty. There were a few reports that the rioting and public disorder seen in some areas of the country in early August had adversely affected activity.

GBP/USD slumped from 1.6150 to 1.6076, following the jump to 1.6185, and GBP/JPY tumbled from 124.20 to 123.64 today as of 14:01 GMT.

If you have any questions, comments or opinions regarding the Great Britain Pound, feel free to post them using the commentary form below.

Earlier News About the Great Britain Pound:

    * Pound Profits from Terrible US Payrolls (2011-09-02)
    * Forecast: Fundamentals Aren't Favorable for Pound (2011-08-30)
    * Pound Goes Down as UK Economy Slows (2011-08-26)
    * GBP Falls vs. EUR with Consumer Confidence & Retail Sales (2011-08-25)
    * Pound Rises as Inflation Accelerates (2011-08-16)

Euro Sinks After Merkel’s Party Loses Election

EuroThe euro plunged today, falling for the fifth consecutive session against the US dollar and the Japanese yen, after Germany’s ruling party lost election.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s Christian Democratic Union lost election in all six German states. The results of the elections ignited worries that now Germany will be even more opposed to paying bailouts with money of its taxpayers. The Stoxx Europe 600 Index of shares lost 2.8 percent, falling for the second day.

EUR/USD slipped from 1.4161 to 1.4121 and EUR/JPY fell from 108.92 to 108.56 as of 12:50 GMT today.

If you have any questions, comments or opinions regarding the Euro, feel free to post them using the commentary form below.

Earlier News About the Euro:

    * Euro Ends Rally as ECB Expected to End Interest Rates Hikes (2011-08-30)
    * Euro Falls for Second Day vs. Dollar (2011-08-25)
    * Euro Drops as Europe's Economic Growth Slows (2011-08-16)
    * Euro Weakens as Investors Shun European Bonds (2011-08-02)
    * Euro Slids for Second Day on Debt Crisis Concern (2011-07-28)

US Dollar Suffers From Terrible Nonfarm Payrolls

US DollarThe US dollar fell against other major currencies, including the Great Britain pound and the Japanese yen, today after the non-farm payrolls showed that job creation in the US stalled. The currency also slipped against the euro, but later rebounded.

US non-farm payrolls showed no employment growth in August. That’s much worse than the market expectations (growth by 74,000) and the worst reading since September 2010, when employment declined by 95,000. Average hourly earnings dropped 0.1 percent, while markets counted on an increase by 0.2 percent. The poor economic report renewed speculations that the Federal Reserve needs third round of asset purchases, known as quantitative easing, to bolster the economic recovery in the United States.

The Dollar Index managed to rise 0.3 percent to 74.683 today from 74.479 yesterday. The dollar trimmed losses versus the pound and the yen, as well as rebounded versus the euro. The Standard & Poor’s 500 Index plunged as much as 2.3 percent.

GBP/USD climbed from 1.6177 to 1.6253 before trading at 1.6220 as of 19:40 GMT today. USD/JPY fell from 76.91 to 76.80 and touched low of 76.52 intraday. Meanwhile, EUR/USD tumbled from 1.4257 to 1.4199.

If you have any questions, comments or opinions regarding the US Dollar, feel free to post them using the commentary form below.

Earlier News About the US Dollar:

    * US Manufacturing Expands, Dollar Profits (2011-09-01)
    * USD Gains vs. EUR & CHF, Falls vs. JPY (2011-08-30)
    * Fundamentals are Bad for US Dollar, But Week Wasn't Bad (2011-08-27)
    * Dollar Drops After Bernanke Speech & GDP Report (2011-08-26)
    * Will Bernanke Announce QE3? Will Dollar Decline? (2011-08-25)

Franc Jumps as US Payrolls Show Zero Growth

Swiss francThe Swiss franc climbed today against the US dollar, extending its rally for the third day, after the non-farm payrolls showed that US employers weren’t adding jobs last month.

US non-farm payroll employment showed no change in August, while the unemployment rate remained at 9.1 percent. Analysts predicted an increase of payrolls by 74,000. July value was revised down from 117,000 to 85,000. It’ll be interesting to see how the Federal Reserve will react to such disastrous economic data and what steps it’ll take.

USD/CHF plunged from 037954 to 0.7811 as of 13:45 GMT today. Earlier, the currency pair reached 0.7711, the lowest level since August 12.

If you have any questions, comments or opinions regarding the Swiss Franc, feel free to post them using the commentary form below.

Earlier News About the Swiss Franc:

    * Franc Rallies as SNB Doesn't Intervene (2011-09-01)
    * Franc Falls as Bernanke Improves Sentiment on Markets (2011-08-26)
    * Franc Gains as Markets Return to Risk Aversion (2011-08-24)
    * Franc Falls for Second Day on Risk Sentiment (2011-08-24)
    * Franc's Rally Fails on Euro-Peg Speculation (2011-08-23)

Rand Advances with Stocks & Metals

South African randThe South African rand rallied today, rising to the highest level in more than a week against the US dollar, as stocks and metals advanced after the speech of Federal Reserve Chairman Ben S. Bernanke last week.

Bernanke said last Friday that the Fed has means to support growth of the US economy, improving market sentiment. The main South African stock index jumped 1.7 percent as prices on the London Metal Exchange increased for a fourth day. South Africa’s economy itself performs not that good, though, and many investors still convinced that the nation’s central bank will cut interest rates.

USD/ZAR fell from 7.1300 to 7.0810 today as of 9:56 GMT and touched 7.0680 — the lowest level since August 17.

If you have any questions, comments or opinions regarding the South African Rand, feel free to post them using the commentary form below.

Earlier News About the South African Rand:

    * Rand Weakens on Prospect of Interest Rates Cut (2011-08-22)
    * Rand Near Monthly High vs. USD on Rate Difference, US Uncertainty (2011-07-26)
    * Rand Weakened by Credit Rating Outlook for Greece (2011-07-05)
    * Rand Weakens with Commodities on US Growth Forecast (2011-06-23)
    * South African Rand Falls on Greek Crisis, Trims Losses (2011-06-20)

Fundamentals are Bad for US Dollar, But Week Wasn’t Bad

US DollarThe fundamentals this week were negative for the US dollar, weakening the currency against some major counterparts, but performance of the greenback wasn’t that bad, considering all the pressure to the downside.

There were plenty of bad new for the dollar this week. Bad housing data, rising unemployment claims and slower that expected growth of the US economy. The week ended with the speech of Ben Bernanke, who hinted at possibility of additional stimulus without detailing an actual plan.

The dollar was dragged down by the unfavorable fundamentals and fell against the euro and commodity currencies (including the currencies of Canada, Australia and New Zealand). On the other hand, the dollar gained against the franc and rallied versus the yen before losing its gains by the end of the week as there aren’t many choices for investors who need a safe currency, but afraid of interventions of Japan and Switzerland. The pound also fell against the greenback as Britain has its own problems that erase attractiveness of the nation’s currency.

Next week may also be hard for the dollar. Analysts predict another unfavorable report about hosing and are pessimistic about employment data.

EUR/USD climbed from 1.4376 to 1.4498, while during the week it dropped to 1.4327. USD/CHF climbed from 0.7904 to 0.8058 and reached the daily high of 0.8157. AUD/USD surged from 1.0380 to 1.0569.

If you have any questions, comments or opinions regarding the US Dollar, feel free to post them using the commentary form below.

Earlier News About the US Dollar:

    * Dollar Drops After Bernanke Speech & GDP Report (2011-08-26)
    * Will Bernanke Announce QE3? Will Dollar Decline? (2011-08-25)
    * Dollar Gains Before Bernanke Speech (2011-08-24)
    * Dollar Falls on China's & Europe's Manufacturing (2011-08-23)
    * Dollar Rises While Traders Afraid of Recession (2011-08-18)

Pound Goes Down as UK Economy Slows

Great Britain poundThe Great Britain pound weakened against the Japanese yen and slowed its advance versus the US dollar after the report showed the UK economy grew with slower pace in the second quarter.

The revised figure for growth of UK gross domestic product in the second quarter of 2011 was 0.2 percent, the same as in the preliminary estimate. It indicates slower expansion, compared to 0.5 percent growth in the first quarter. The report also mentioned that several special events affected Britain’s economy in Q2: the additional April public holiday, the royal wedding and the aftereffects of the Japanese tsunami.

GBP/JPY fell from 126.12 to 125.68 today as of 9:24 GMT and touched the daily low of 125.41 earlier. GBP/USD climbed from 1.6278 to 1.6332.

If you have any questions, comments or opinions regarding the Great Britain Pound, feel free to post them using the commentary form below.

Earlier News About the Great Britain Pound:

* GBP Falls vs. EUR with Consumer Confidence & Retail Sales (2011-08-25)
* Pound Rises as Inflation Accelerates (2011-08-16)
* Osborne Refuses Review Spending Cuts, Boosting Pound (2011-08-12)
* Pound Drops with Higher Trade Deficit (2011-08-09)
* Pound Weakens on Worsening Consumer Sentiment (2011-07-21)

Euro Falls for Second Day vs. Dollar

EuroThe euro fell against the US dollar for the second day and erased gains versus the Swiss franc today as investors are less willing to buy the currency amid signs of problems in Europe and concerns of global economic slowdown.


The decline of consumer confidence in Germany had its negative impact on the shared European currency. GfK stated that German consumer confidence fell from 5.3 to 5.2 this month and wrote in the report:


Economic expectations virtually collapsed in August, and in light of this, there has also been a moderate drop in Germans’ income expectations.


The euro also weakened on the speculation European lawmakers will extend the ban on short sales.


The global weren’t very supportive for the euro either as rising unemployment claims worsened sentiment of traders. Jobless claims in the US rose to 417,000 last week from the previous week’s revised figure of 412,000. Economists anticipated decrease to 403,000.


EUR/USD fell from 1.4412 to 1.4377 today as of 17:39 GMT. During the day the currency pair reached the high of 1.4474 and the low of 1.4327. EUR/CHF traded at 1.4437 today after earlier it dropped from 1.1465 to 1.1407.


If you have any questions, comments or opinions regarding the Euro, feel free to post them using the commentary form below.


Earlier News About the Euro:


* Euro Drops as Europe's Economic Growth Slows (2011-08-16)

* Euro Weakens as Investors Shun European Bonds (2011-08-02)

* Euro Slids for Second Day on Debt Crisis Concern (2011-07-28)

* Euro Posts Weekly Gain After Two Weeks of Losses (2011-07-23)

* Euro Drops as Optimism Caused by EU Summit Wanes (2011-07-22)

Australia’s Dollar Weakens on Germany’s Consumer Confidence

Australian dollarThe Australian dollar fell today against most major currencies, before rebounding, as the report showed consumer confidence in Germany declined this month, reducing appeal of higher-yielding assets.

The drop of German confidence wasn’t very big as the GfK indicator retreated just to 5.2 in August from 5.3 in the month before. The report explained:

    Despite the current crisis on the financial markets, Germans’ willingness to buy is surprisingly robust and increased further in August from an already high level. However, the worsening of the international debt crisis and rising fears of a return to recession for the global economy have clearly left their mark on the economic optimism of Germans.

AUD/USD traded at about 1.0466 today as of 11:16 GMT after dropping from 1.0471 to 1.0428.

If you have any questions, comments or opinions regarding the Australian Dollar, feel free to post them using the commentary form below.

Earlier News About the Australian Dollar:

    * Australia Dollar Receives Help from Commodities (2011-08-17)
    * Aussie Falls as RBA Minutes Don't Exclude Rates Cut (2011-08-16)
    * Australia's Dollar Rallies Despite Rising Unemployment (2011-08-11)
    * Consumer Sentiment Curbs Appeal of Aussie (2011-08-10)
    * Australian Dollar Attempts Stop Decline, Fails (2011-08-09)

Pound Drops with Higher Trade Deficit

Great Britain poundThe Great Britain pound dropped after macroeconomic data provided today some unpleasant surprises, including the unexpected growth of trade balance deficit and decline of manufacturing.

The UK trade balance deficit widened to £8.9 billion in June from £8.5 billion in May. Traders hoped for decrease of the deficit to £8.2 billion. Manufacturing production declined with the annual rate of 0.4 percent in June. The contraction followed the advance by 1.8 percent in the month before. Market analysts predicted an increase by 0.3 percent.

Riots in London and other cities of Britain lead to massive damage to property and left one person dead. Several hundred was arrested. Police is busy with containing the riots and rumors state that army may be employed.

GBP/USD was little changed at 1.6302 as of 23:58 GMT after opening at 1.6315, rising as high as 1.6409 and falling as low as 1.6175. EUR/GBP jumped from 0.8688 to 0.8804 and GBP/JPY slipped from 126.82 to 124.49 before trading at 125.74.

If you have any questions, comments or opinions regarding the Great Britain Pound, feel free to post them using the commentary form below.

Earlier News About the Great Britain Pound:

    Pound Weakens on Worsening Consumer Sentiment (2011-07-21)
    GBP/USD Erases Losses After BOE Minutes (2011-07-20)
    UK House Prices Fall for First Time in 2011, Sterling Weaker (2011-07-18)
    Pound Falls vs. Euro on Jobless Claims (2011-07-13)
    Pound Recovers from Slump on Bad Fundamentals (2011-07-12)


This entry was posted on TopForexNews on Tuesday, August 9th, 2011 at 11:59 pm and is filed under Great Britain Pound. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.

SNB Moves In, Franc Moves Back

Swiss francThe Swiss franc retreated today from the yesterday’s records against the dollar and the euro as the Swiss National Bank expanded measures aimed to tame the excessive appreciation of the currency.

The SNB repeated that a strong currency is a ”threat” to the nation’s economy. As a result, the bank decided to increase pressure on the franc:

    In the light of these developments, the Swiss National Bank (SNB) is taking additional measures against the strength of the Swiss franc. It will again significantly increase the supply of liquidity to the Swiss franc money market.

To increase liquidity, the SNB “will additionally conduct foreign exchange swap transactions”.

USD/CHF climbed from 0.7205 to 0.7257 as of 10:11 GMT and reached the intraday high of 0.7331. EUR/CHF advanced from 1.0365 to 1.0426 after it dropped yesterday to the record low of 1.0089.

If you have any questions, comments or opinions regarding the Swiss Franc, feel free to post them using the commentary form below.

Earlier News About the Swiss Franc:

    Fed Plans Keep Zero Rates till 2013, Dollar Hurt (2011-08-09)

    CHF at New Record vs. USD, Gains vs. Other Currencies (2011-08-08)

    Intervention: Way to Weaker Franc or Bluff of SNB? (2011-08-08)

    Swiss Franc Prevails Despite Intervention (2011-08-04)

    Siwss Franc Retreats From Maximums (2011-08-03)

This entry was posted on TopForexNews on Wednesday, August 10th, 2011 at 10:11 am and is filed under Swiss Franc. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowe

Canadian Dollar Falls Along with Other Commodity Currencies

Canadian DollarThe Canadian continued continued to fall against the majors today, along with the other “commodity” currencies, as the global growth perspectives remained dim.

The loonie, as the currency is often called, fell to the lowest level in two weeks against the US dollar, traded with a great volatility against the euro and demonstrated its 5th straight day of decline against the Japanese yen today.

Along with the general market sentiment that the global economic growth will have to scale down, following the US deficit-cutting measures, the Canadian dollar was also influenced by the today’s bad statistics from the United States. The personal income grew slower than expected in June (0.1 percent vs. 0.2 percent forecast), while the personal spending fell by 0.2 percent (with a 0.1 percent gain forecast).

USD/CAD rose from 0.9559 to 0.9600 as of 16:47 GMT today, with a daily high at 0.9618 — the lowest level since July 18. EUR/CAD rose only slightly — from 1.3626 to 1.3632. CAD/JPY declined from 80.91 to 80.34.

If you have any questions, comments or opinions regarding the Canadian Dollar, feel free to post them using the commentary form below.

Earlier News About the Canadian Dollar:

    Loonie Declines as Economy Contracts (2011-07-29)
    CAD Sets New Multi-Year Record on US Crisis Expectations (2011-07-26)
    Canadian Inflation Slows, Loonie Retreats (2011-07-22)
    CAD Reaches Three-Year High vs. USD (2011-07-22)
    BOC Rate Statement Invigorates Loonie (2011-07-19)


This entry was posted on TopForexNews on Tuesday, August 2nd, 2011 at 4:50 pm and is filed under Canadian Dollar. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.

Yen Slumps on BoJ Intervention

Japanese yenThe Japanese yen dropped heavily against everything on the Forex market today, following the currency intervention by the country’s central bank.

The yen declined most notably against the US dollar, demonstrating the biggest daily drop since October 2008. It also fell to the lowest rate against the euro since July 11 and reached the price minimum against the Great Britain pound since July 5.

The Bank of Japan followed the footsteps of the Swiss National Bank and intervened the currency market today, increasing the amounts of yen it purchases in order to hold down the currency appreciation:

    …to enhance monetary easing by increasing the total size of the Asset Purchase Program by about 10 trillion yen2 from about 40 trillion yen to about 50 trillion yen.

The market analysts believe that the success of this measure will depend on how persistent the country’s central bank will be. To keep the yen down, they’ll have to continue with similar measures. One-time event just won’t do it for something as bullish as the Japanese yen.

USD/JPY rose from 76.97 to 79.78 as of 12:37 GMT today, reaching as high as 80.23 (the maximum since July 12) earlier. EUR/JPY went up from 110.54 to 113.09. GBP/JPY advanced from 126.54 to 130.21 today.

If you have any questions, comments or opinions regarding the Japanese Yen, feel free to post them using the commentary form below.

Earlier News About the Japanese Yen:

    Yen Gains on Greece & US Debt Problems (2011-07-28)
    EU Summit Eases Need for Safety, Yen Drops (2011-07-22)
    Second Week of Gains for Yen, Will BOJ Intervene? (2011-07-16)
    Yen Declines as Chinese Economy Grows (2011-07-13)
    Growing China's Economy Saps Demand for Safety of Yen (2011-06-14)


This entry was posted on TopForexNews on Thursday, August 4th, 2011 at 12:39 pm and is filed under Japanese Yen. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allo

Loonie Declines as Economy Contracts

Canadian DollarThe Canadian dollar fell sharply against all of its major counterparts today, following the unexpected negative GDP report.

The loonie dropped to its July 19 level against the US dollar, the lowest value against the euro since July 8 and slid to March 18 rates against the Japanese yen today. The currency also decreased against the outsider of the day — the Australian dollar.

It’s quite clear that today’s bearish behavior is largely a result of Canadian GDP report that was released by Statistics Canada at 12:30 GMT. It showed a contraction of 0.3 percent in May 2011, which followed a zero change in April this year. The market economists forecasted the May value to be at 0.1 percent, positive.

The analysts also cite the poor US GDP growth as another factor that badly influenced the Canadian dollar (as the Canada’s economy is quite dependent on the one of the United States). Some of them also believe that June figures will be far from good too.

USD/CAD rose from 0.9489 to 0.9562 as of 17:03 GMT today. EUR/CAD went up from 1.3596 to 1.3748, while CAD/JPY dropped from 81.85 to 80.69, reaching low as 80.40 today.

If you have any questions, comments or opinions regarding the Canadian Dollar, feel free to post them using the commentary form below.

Earlier News About the Canadian Dollar:

    CAD Sets New Multi-Year Record on US Crisis Expectations (2011-07-26)
    Canadian Inflation Slows, Loonie Retreats (2011-07-22)
    CAD Reaches Three-Year High vs. USD (2011-07-22)
    BOC Rate Statement Invigorates Loonie (2011-07-19)
    Canadian Dollar Looks More Attractive After EU Stress Tests (2011-07-15)


This entry was posted on TopForexNews on Friday, July 29th, 2011 at 5:06 pm and is filed under Canadian Dollar. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.

Loonie Declines as Economy Contracts

Canadian DollarThe Canadian dollar fell sharply against all of its major counterparts today, following the unexpected negative GDP report.

The loonie dropped to its July 19 level against the US dollar, the lowest value against the euro since July 8 and slid to March 18 rates against the Japanese yen today. The currency also decreased against the outsider of the day — the Australian dollar.

It’s quite clear that today’s bearish behavior is largely a result of Canadian GDP report that was released by Statistics Canada at 12:30 GMT. It showed a contraction of 0.3 percent in May 2011, which followed a zero change in April this year. The market economists forecasted the May value to be at 0.1 percent, positive.

The analysts also cite the poor US GDP growth as another factor that badly influenced the Canadian dollar (as the Canada’s economy is quite dependent on the one of the United States). Some of them also believe that June figures will be far from good too.

USD/CAD rose from 0.9489 to 0.9562 as of 17:03 GMT today. EUR/CAD went up from 1.3596 to 1.3748, while CAD/JPY dropped from 81.85 to 80.69, reaching low as 80.40 today.

If you have any questions, comments or opinions regarding the Canadian Dollar, feel free to post them using the commentary form below.

Earlier News About the Canadian Dollar:

    CAD Sets New Multi-Year Record on US Crisis Expectations (2011-07-26)
    Canadian Inflation Slows, Loonie Retreats (2011-07-22)
    CAD Reaches Three-Year High vs. USD (2011-07-22)
    BOC Rate Statement Invigorates Loonie (2011-07-19)
    Canadian Dollar Looks More Attractive After EU Stress Tests (2011-07-15)


This entry was posted on TopForexNews on Friday, July 29th, 2011 at 5:06 pm and is filed under Canadian Dollar. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.

Risk Rally Pushes NZD to Records vs. Dollar

New Zealand dollarThe New Zealand dollar reached a new historical maximum against its North American counterpart and grew against some other world currencies today, as the US debt ceiling agreement spurred demand for high-yielding assets.

The kiwi (which is how the NZD is often called) renewed its historical maximums versus the US dollar and the euro today. It also reached a new high level in more than a year against the Japanese yen.

The global hunger for risk increased significantly as the President Obama announced that the political parties has reached a deal on the US debt ceiling last night. The debt limit will be raised by at least $2.1 trillion (up from the current $14.3 trillion), while the government spending will be cut by about $2.5 trillion over next 10 years. Improved certainty with the future of world’s biggest economy spurred demand for the high-yielding currencies among the Forex traders.

NZD/USD rose from 0.8785 to 0.8822 as of 7:30 GMT after reaching a daily high at 0.8842 today. NZD/JPY went up from 67.99 to 68.42 with a daily maximum at 68.87 — the record level since early May 2010. EUR/NZD fell from 1.6334 to 1.6304.

If you have any questions, comments or opinions regarding the New Zealand Dollar, feel free to post them using the commentary form below.

Earlier News About the New Zealand Dollar:

    New Zealand Economy Expands, NZD/USD Jumps to Record (2011-07-14)
    China's Economy Makes Kiwi More Appealing, NZD/USD at Record (2011-07-13)
    Search for Higher Yield Draw Investors to Kiwi (2011-07-06)
    NZ Dollar Reaches Record vs. US Dollar on Business Confidence (2011-06-30)
    Shrinking Trade Surplus Makes Kiwi Weaker (2011-06-27)

Risk Rally Pushes NZD to Records vs. Dollar

New Zealand dollarThe New Zealand dollar reached a new historical maximum against its North American counterpart and grew against some other world currencies today, as the US debt ceiling agreement spurred demand for high-yielding assets.

The kiwi (which is how the NZD is often called) renewed its historical maximums versus the US dollar and the euro today. It also reached a new high level in more than a year against the Japanese yen.

The global hunger for risk increased significantly as the President Obama announced that the political parties has reached a deal on the US debt ceiling last night. The debt limit will be raised by at least $2.1 trillion (up from the current $14.3 trillion), while the government spending will be cut by about $2.5 trillion over next 10 years. Improved certainty with the future of world’s biggest economy spurred demand for the high-yielding currencies among the Forex traders.

NZD/USD rose from 0.8785 to 0.8822 as of 7:30 GMT after reaching a daily high at 0.8842 today. NZD/JPY went up from 67.99 to 68.42 with a daily maximum at 68.87 — the record level since early May 2010. EUR/NZD fell from 1.6334 to 1.6304.

If you have any questions, comments or opinions regarding the New Zealand Dollar, feel free to post them using the commentary form below.

Earlier News About the New Zealand Dollar:

    New Zealand Economy Expands, NZD/USD Jumps to Record (2011-07-14)
    China's Economy Makes Kiwi More Appealing, NZD/USD at Record (2011-07-13)
    Search for Higher Yield Draw Investors to Kiwi (2011-07-06)
    NZ Dollar Reaches Record vs. US Dollar on Business Confidence (2011-06-30)
    Shrinking Trade Surplus Makes Kiwi Weaker (2011-06-27)

Sixth Quarter of Gains for Yuan

The Chinese yuan posted the sixth straight quarterly gain on the speculation that China will allow the currency to appreciate faster in order to slow growth of consumer prices.

The People’s Bank of China increased the reference rate for the yuan to 6.4716 per dollar today, allowing the currency to fluctuate 0.5 percent in either side of the target. Li Daokui, the adviser to the central bank, explained the rise of prices in June by higher costs of agricultural products and pork. China Securities Journal said today, citing the State Information Center, the inflation is estimated to be 5.3 percent in the first half of 2011 and about 4.9 percent for the whole year.

USD/CNY traded at 6.4648 today as of 11:22 GMT, fluctuating near its opening rate of 6.4644, after rising as high as 6.4680 and falling as low as 6.4625.

If you have any questions, comments or opinions regarding the Chinese Yuan, feel free to post them using the commentary form below.

Earlier News About the Chinese Yuan:
» Yuan Appreciates Above 6.5 vs. USD for a Short Time (2011-04-29)
» Chinese Yuan Appreciates with Other Asian Currencies (2011-04-02)
» China Allows Yuan Appreciate, Can It Do So? (2011-01-12)
» Yuan Rises Beyond 6.6 per Dollar as China Battles Inflation (2010-12-31)
» Can Yuan's Gains Be Limited by Demands for Slower Appreciation? (2010-12-29)

Dollar Falls on US Growth Slowdown

The US dollar fell sharply against some of the major currencies today, following a report that showed that the economic growth in the second quarter of 2011 was worse than expected.

The greenback was trading at a rather high level against the other currencies earlier today, advancing significantly both against the euro and the Great Britain pound before 12:30 GMT today. Following the US GDP report, it slid to bearish against the euro and trades almost in the negative zone against the pound. The dollar is also down against the Japanese yen and the Swiss franc.

The gross domestic product increased at an annual rate of 1.3 percent in the Q2 2011 from the Q1 2011. The first quarter growth was revised down from 1.9 percent to 0.4 percent. The traders expected 1.8 percent gain in GDP on average. This news is very pessimistic in regards of the possible rate increases in the United States and thus is extremely negative for the US dollar.

EUR/USD went up from 1.4327 to 1.4333 as of 13:09 GMT, trading as low as 1.4229 earlier. GBP/USD is now trading near its opening level — 1.6369. USD/JPY fell from 77.69 to 77.14 today.

If you have any questions, comments or opinions regarding the US Dollar, feel free to post them using the commentary form below.

Earlier News About the US Dollar:
» Continued Debates over US Debt Push USD to New Lows vs. CHF (2011-07-25)
» Optimism for Europe Returns, Greenback Suffers (2011-07-20)
» Dollar Rises on Signs of Agreement Among US Lawmakers (2011-07-19)
» S&P Warn About Possible Downgrade of US Rating, USD Down (2011-07-15)
» Dollar Regains Strength as Bernanke Speaks (2011-07-14)


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