Ringgit falls as US data signal higher Fed rates
Published: Saturday August 2, 2014 MYT 12:00:00 AM
Updated: Saturday August 2, 2014 MYT 7:36:10 AM
Kuala Lumpur: The ringgit fell the most this week since December as improving US data added to speculation the US Federal Reserve will raise interest rates, reducing demand for emerging market assets.
The ringgit declined along with other Asian currencies as the Bloomberg US Dollar Spot Index climbed 0.9% in the strongest weekly performance since November.
“The ringgit and other Asian currencies are weaker because the market is predicting the Fed will raise interest rates sooner than expected,” said Wong Chee Seng, a currency strategist at AmBank Group in Kuala Lumpur. “While Asian currencies could still fall, the downside is likely to be limited as the rate differential is still in their favour.”
The ringgit declined 0.5% to 3.2120 per dollar in Kuala Lumpur and earlier reached 3.2140, the lowest level since June 27, data compiled by Bloomberg show. It fell 1.2% in the shortened trading week, when markets were shut on July 28–29 for a public holiday.
One-month implied volatility, a measure of expected moves in the exchange rate used to price options, increased 86 basis points, or 0.86 percentage point, to 5.81% for the week.
The US Federal Open Market Committee reduced its monthly bond purchases this week by another US$10bil to US$25bil, and so further cutting its stimulus programme that had driven demand for emerging market assets.
The MSIC Asia Pacific Index of stocks dropped 1% from July 25, halting a two-week gain. It is up 4.2% this year, after climbing 9.3% in 2013.
Malaysian 10-year government bonds fell this week, with the yield on the 4.181% notes due July 2024 rising one basis point to 3.9%, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. That compares with 2.63% on similar maturity UK Gilts, 2.58% on US Treasuries and 1.18% on German bunds.
Overseas investors cut holdings of Malaysia’s local currency debt by 0.5% to RM248.2bil in June from a record RM249.5bil in May, data issued on the central bank’s website showed. — Bloomberg
http://www.thestar.com.my/Business/...git-falls-as-US-data-signal-higher-Fed-rates/