Investing.com– Most Asian currencies weakened on Friday, while the dollar sat near its strongest level in over two years as traders braced for a potentially strong nonfarm payrolls reading due later in the day.
Regional sentiment was also undermined by weak inflation data from China, while traders speculated over a potential interest rate hike by the Bank of Japan, although this provided only fleeting support to the yen.
The dollar moved little in overnight trade on account of a U.S. market holiday. But the greenback remained upbeat following hawkish signals from the Federal Reserve earlier this week.
Dollar steady near 2-yr high as nonfarm payrolls loom
The dollar index and dollar index futures both firmed slightly in Asian trade, and were just below their strongest levels since November 2022.
Focus was squarely on nonfarm payrolls data for December, due later on Friday, for more cues on the U.S. economy and interest rates.
The greenback was buoyed by the minutes of the Fed’s December meeting, released on Wednesday, which reiterated the central bank’s warning that rates will fall at a slower pace this year.
The minutes also showed policymakers concerned over expansionary and protectionist policies under President-elect Donald Trump, which could underpin inflation in the long term.
Japanese yen weakens despite strong spending data
The Japanese yen reversed Thursday’s gains and softened on Friday, with the USDJPY pair rising 0.2% and remaining above the 158 yen level.
Stronger-than-expected household spending data released on Friday sparked increased speculation over a January interest rate hike by the Bank of Japan, especially as data released on Thursday showed a bigger-than-expected increase in wage growth.
Analysts expect a virtuous cycle of high wages, steady inflation and improving private consumption to spur more rate hikes by the BOJ in the coming months, potentially as soon as the BOJ’s late-January meeting.
But the yen saw fleeting support on this notion, as it came under pressure from the prospect of higher for longer U.S. interest rates.
Broader Asian currencies weakened on Friday on a similar notion, with traders turning especially averse towards the region before the nonfarm payrolls reading.
The Chinese yuan’s USDCNY pair rose 0.3%, with the currency seeing continued weakness after soft inflation data for December. The prospect of trade tariffs under Trump also soured sentiment towards China.
The Australian dollar’s AUDUSD pair fell 0.2% and was close to a two-year low, as mixed inflation data released earlier in the week fueled bets on earlier interest rate cuts by the Reserve Bank.
The South Korean won’s USDKRW pair rose 0.4% amid continued political strife in the country, while the Singapore dollar’s USDSGD pair rose 0.1%.
The Indian rupee’s USDINR pair steadied below the 86 rupee level.
