Asia FX firms as dollar stalls amid rate cut bets, political uncertainty

Investing.com-- Most Asian currencies drifted higher on Tuesday, while the dollar retreated as the greenback’s rebound was held back by continued expectations of interest rate cuts and uncertainty over the 2024 presidential election. 

Still, sentiment towards Asia remained constrained by concerns over China, amid signs of a slowing economic recovery and uncertainty over how U.S. policies will treat the country in the coming months. 

Japanese yen outperforms, USDJPY down to 156

The Japanese yen was the best performer for the day, continuing to strengthen against the dollar after suspected intervention by the government last week.

The USDJPY pair fell 0.4% to 156.41 yen, coming close to a 1-½ month low.

A senior member of the Japanese government called for more clarity on interest rate hikes by the Bank of Japan, the Nikkei reported on Tuesday. The comments come just a week ahead of a BOJ meeting, where some analysts expect the bank to hike interest rates by 10 basis points. A recent increase in countrywide inflation supported this notion, although inflation still remained relatively sluggish.

Uncertainty over the BOJ has been a key weight on the yen in recent months, as the central bank provided few cues on when it will tighten policy further. 

Dollar dips with presidential race, rate cuts in focus 

The dollar index and dollar index futures both fell 0.1% each in Asian trade, stalling after a sharp rebound over the past two sessions. 

The greenback turned volatile amid increased uncertainty over the U.S. presidential race, after President Joe Biden said he will not seek reelection, and endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris as the Democratic nominee. 

Reports on Monday said Harris had won enough support from Democratic delegates to become the party’s presidential nominee, but will still need to be formally nominated.

Still, Republican nominee Donald Trump was seen polling ahead of Biden and Harris as of last week, CBS and HarrisX data showed. 

Expectations of a Trump presidency had enabled some strength in the dollar, as analysts said he would be likely to enact protectionist trade policies. 

But the dollar was nursing steep losses in recent weeks amid growing conviction the Federal Reserve will cut interest rates in September. The central bank is set to keep rates unchanged at a meeting next week.

Broader Asian currencies drifted higher. The Singapore dollar’s USDSGD pair fell 0.1%, while the South Korean won’s USDKRW pair fell 0.3%. South Korean producer inflation picked up slightly in June, data showed. 

The Indian rupee’s USDINR pair fell slightly but remained close to record highs hit earlier in July. Focus was on the Indian government’s 2024 budget, set to be unveiled later in the day. 

Chinese yuan fragile amid economic uncertainty

The Chinese yuan moved little on Tuesday, seeing little relief after an unexpected interest rate cut by the People’s Bank of China. 

The USDCNY pair hovered around 7.2738 yuan, remaining close to levels last seen in November. 

The currency was battered by increasing uncertainty over the Chinese economy, especially after recent data showed it grew less than expected in the second quarter.

Speculation over a Trump presidency also weighed on the yuan, given that Trump’s administration had sparked a trade war with Beijing in the late-2010s. 

Concerns over China pressured some Asian currencies. The Australian dollar’s AUDUSD pair fell 0.1%, pressured by the country’s large trade exposure to China.